


Priorities

by Cam719



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode Tag, Episode: s05e21 Gaza, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-04-12
Updated: 2007-04-12
Packaged: 2019-05-15 10:45:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 54,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14789048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cam719/pseuds/Cam719
Summary: A post Gaza fic that starts with canon, then moves into AU.





	1. Priorities chapter1 1-5

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: I have combined chapters for posting. This first post contains chapters 1-5.  


* * *

Title: Priorities  
Disclaimer: Not mine, nor will they ever be mine  
Rating: PG-13 just for language  
Category: angst, political intrigue  
Feedback: …is always appreciated!  
Summary: Starts during "Gaza' then veers sharply into AU

Chapter 1

"If there's someplace you'd rather be, everyone would understand."  
Leo tells me.

"I'm okay." I reassure him. I pause a moment, thinking about what  
he's really saying and what my priorities are right now. Did I really  
just advocate bombing everyone who is happy about the attack on the  
CODEL? I need to get to Donna. I need to get there now. "Thanks." I  
tell Leo before literally taking off at a run to my office.

Once there, I grab my backpack and shove my lap top inside. Within   
60  
seconds I am at the front gate getting a cab to the airport. Donna  
always keeps my passport and a few essentials in various pockets of  
my backpack. Besides, anything else I really need I can get in  
Germany. I'm not stopping for clothes, I'm not stopping for a beer,  
and I'm certainly not stopping for red lights. This sense of urgency  
is so overwhelming that I'm finding it difficult to think about what  
I need to do next. That's when my cell phone rings.

"Josh Lyman." Please don't let it be the hospital with bad news…

"Josh, it's Margaret. Leo asked me to book you on the next flight to  
Germany. Do you have a pen? You need to write this down." I fumble   
in  
my bag for a pen and something to write on.

"Okay, Margaret. Go Ahead."

"You're on Lufthansa flight 9281. It leaves at 5:49 so that only  
gives you 1 hour to get there and get through security. If you don't  
make it, call me back and I'll help you rebook."

"I'll make it." I assure her, but I'm having trouble writing down the  
information because my hand is shaking.

"It's a 10 hour flight to Saarbruecken, and with the time changes  
you'll be arriving at 9:55 AM tomorrow morning. Leo will have a  
driver waiting there to take you to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center  
which is about a ½ hour drive from the airport. Got all that?"

"Yeah, I think so. Thanks Margaret, and thank Leo for me."

"Just take care of Donna and tell her we all send our love."

"Will do." I shut the cell phone and lay my head against the back of  
the car seat. It's going to be a very long twelve hours until I see  
Donna, and she'd be the first one to tell you that patience isn't my  
strong suit.

 

Under any other circumstances, Josh would have appreciated the   
humor  
in the situation, but at present, it just wasn't in him. Maybe later,  
he would remember to tell Donna about this conversation. He knew it  
would make her laugh and then she would admonish him on his lack of  
people skills.

"Sir, you ARE on the Lufthansa flight #9281?" the agent repeated.

"Yes, here's my ID and Passport."

"Going to Germany?" she talks to me like I'm addle minded.

"That is generally where Lufthansa flies, is it not?" What is wrong  
with this woman?

"Then again, sir, where is the luggage you are checking?"

"Again, lady, there IS no checked luggage. Now I've got 15 minutes to  
haul ass to the gate. Will you please, for the love of God, print my  
boarding pass?"

Her eyes widen and I get the feeling I might have gone too far as she  
scurries off and fetches a supervisor. The supervisor comes over with  
a placating expression on his face.

"Mr. Lyman? If I could have you step this way, sir?" He is motioning  
me towards a security office to the side of the check in counter. I  
don't move an inch.

"What is going on? I have to be on my flight in…13 minutes. I don't  
have time for this."

"Sir, it's like this. Your purchase and circumstances have triggered  
several red flags through security."

"What?!" Unbelievable!

"The last minute, one way purchase of an international ticket with no  
checked luggage and a bulky personal item…it sets off red flags."

"Listen….George (I read the name on his employee ID) if I don't get a  
boarding pass and get onto my flight in the next 5 minutes you aren't  
going to believe the red flags, let alone the red tape you're going  
to spend the rest of what you will laughingly call a career dealing  
with."

George seriously takes a step back. I stick my White House ID in his  
face.

"I am the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President of the United States  
and have the diplomatic ranking of a 3 star General. I am rushing to  
get to the regional medical center in Landstuhl where a chief member  
of our administration is in critical condition from the bombing in  
Gaza. Now get me the damn boarding pass or so help me God the next

voice you hear will be the President of the United States asking  
which bus terminal in Des Moines you'd like to punch tickets at." I  
pull out my cell phone and start dialing. I don't know what number I  
am dialing, but then neither does George.

He doesn't even take 5 seconds to process my threat before he is  
printing out my boarding pass. Simultaneously, he calls one of his  
golf cart drivers over and instructs him to get me to my gate  
immediately.

He hands me my boarding pass and my multiple ID's and I smile to   
show  
him how reasonable I can be.

"Thanks, George." I call before my driver goes from 0 to 60 to get me  
to my gate.

Sitting in my seat in business class, I down my second drink in as  
many hours. Yes, Donna, I know. I have a delicate system. However, I  
also have another 8 hours on this plane, and maybe the alcohol will  
help me sleep for awhile. Right now, whenever I close my eyes all I  
can see is the television footage of the explosion. I have hardly  
given a thought to the Congressmen or the Admiral who were in that  
car with Donna and died. It's more than I can take in. All my energy  
is focused on one thing…getting to Donna.

Chapter 2

She looks so pale. I have been staring at her face for over an hour,  
struggling to find some sign that she is waking up. I see the cuts on  
her alabaster skin and my encompassing thought is: I sent her to   
Gaza.

Now people will tell you that I have an overdeveloped sense of guilt  
and maybe they're right in some cases, but I know that in this case  
the guilt is deserved. Donna would never have been in Gaza if not for  
me.

I pass the time leaving medical updates for Donna¡¦s parents on their  
cell phones while they are traveling here from Wisconsin, and  
touching base with CJ and Toby about handling Congressional   
reactions  
to the bombing. I talked to Leo once, but he was short and distant so  
I've decided to keep in touch through Toby and CJ. I know that  
letting me go to Germany creates a hardship for Leo and still he  
bought my ticket and had Margaret smooth the way for me. Is it any  
wonder I regard that man as my second Father?

If you'd asked me yesterday where I wanted to be during a National  
crisis like the one we're now facing right now, I would have said the  
Oval office without hesitation. Without further inflating my ego, I  
must say that I have skills; valuable skills that the President  
relies on during debate on almost any serious issue; I haven't spoken  
to him once since the story of the bombing first broke. I don't even  
feel compelled to talk to him. My priorities have drastically changed  
and as I sit here with only the sound of medical equipment beeping I  
am forced to question when my priorities changed so drastically and  
why.

Then Donna's eyes open and I have an epiphany. She is why.

"Hey."

"What happened to you?" she asks me through squinting eyes.

"To me?" I laugh at her question.

"You need a shave."

"My razor battery is dead and I don't have a converter."

"Where am I?" she is so groggy.

"We're in Germany."

"It doesn't look like Germany."

"Well you know how you're always asking me to take you on foreign  
trips? I need you to get up and make me some note cards"¨ I joke.

"You need to shave." She tells me again and looks oddly at the nurse  
who comes in to draw blood. "Doesn't he need a shave?"

"Couldn't hurt." The nurse smiles at me. "She's going to be a little  
out of it for awhile."

Donna turns back to me. "She doesn't sound German. Are you sure   
you know where we are?" she whispers.

"I'm sure. I even have the boarding pass and passport stamp to prove  
it."

"My mouth is dry"¨ She complains.

"Here, take a sip of this." I bring her a cup of water with a straw  
so she can take a sip. Swallowing appears to be painful to her. God,  
what have I done?

The nurse starts to draw blood and my stomach rolls. I excuse myself  
from the room until she is done and when I go back in Donna is  
sleeping. I sit next to her and hold her hand, willing her to heal.  
When my cell phone rings later, it wakes me up. My head is resting on  
the mattress by Donna's shoulder and I have to literally shake myself  
awake.

"Josh Lyman."

"You sound like hell, mi amore. How's our patient doing?"

"She's resting right now. She woke up for awhile and talked a bit,  
but she's pretty loopy from the drugs. What's happening there?"

"We're getting pretty intense pressure from Congress and the media to

launch some kind of retaliatory strike. The President and Leo can't  
seem to agree on a course of action, and things are getting pretty  
heated in there."

"The President and Leo don't have to agree on a course of action.   
The President is the one who needs to call the shots, and let me tell  
you, I don't care what those pantywaist Congressmen are saying, our  
European allies are applauding the President's restraint in that very  
volatile region."

"That's great, Joshua. I'll just let our friends in the press know  
that our European allies approve, so Americans should just sit down  
and shut up."

"Well that doesn't sound too good to me, CJ, but you're the press  
secretary so if you think that's best.."

"Joshua!"

"Here's what you do, you leak the force depletion report. Thinking  
about dead American soldiers might get them past this Rambo mood  
they're all in. Hit them on proceeding cautiously and with a measured  
response. Make sure the President is seen as the cool, calm head  
prevailing over the pandemonium in the Middle East and, you know, in  
Congress."

"The force depletion report; got it. That might work. You might want  
to check in with Leo, though. I don't think I've ever seen him wound  
so tight."

"He's my next call then. CJ, keep your head in the game. There's  
going to be a lot fired at you over the next few days."

"I hear you. Later, Josh." She hangs up on me and I dial Leo, when  
I'm interrupted by a man carrying flowers.

"Excuse me. Is this Donna Moss' room?" Dumbfounded, I simply nod   
my head and watch as he goes in to see Donna. He lays the flowers   
on her bed and kisses her; right on the mouth! Now she's smiling at   
him and they're holding hands. What the hell? I let her out of my sight   
for a week and this is what happens. Oh, and did I mention he's Irish?  
What's that noise?"

"Hello...hello! Josh are you there?" Oh, it's Leo on the phone.

"Hey boss, what's up?"

"You called me, Josh." He replies tersely.

"Yeah, Donna woke up and talked to me a bit."

"That's great, Josh. What are you hearing over there?"

"There's a lot of support for us right now, but then we haven't  
really done anything but be victims at this point."

"That's go tot change. Josh the President isn't listening to me on  
this and I don't know how to get him to move militarily. Congress is  
drafting a resolution insisting the President take military action.  
If the resolution passes before he makes a move, it'll be game over."

"Wait a minute, Leo. I already suggested that CJ leak the force  
depletion report. That should slow Congress down a bit. But I think  
the President is right, Leo. It makes much more sense to find a  
diplomatic solution now that we have world opinion on our side."

"This is exactly why you're a domestic advisor, not a foreign policy  
advisor. You don't know what the hell you're talking about." Leo  
snaps at me, and I don't know how to respond to his attack.

"Leo I know the pressure cooker you're sitting in right now has got  
to have everybody on edge. The President has always valued your  
opinion, particularly in military matters. Find out what his  
reservations are. Maybe you can talk him through...Look, if you need  
me back there..." I make the offer half-heartedly and Leo must have  
read the reluctance in my voice.

"You're where you need to be, Josh. Take care of Donna. We can call  
you if we need you. I've got to go."

"Bye Leo, good luck." I hang up the phone and peek back into Donna's

room where she has fallen asleep again. I walk over to the Irishman  
and establish my territory.

"So how do you know Donna?"

"We met in Gaza. I'm doing freelance photography there and she   
asked me to show her around the city. Name's Colin Ayres." He holds   
out his hand and I reluctantly take it.

"Josh Lyman." I tell him and his eyebrows rise. Good, this whiskey  
drinking cretin knows who I am.

"Donna's boss, sure. She was always about sending you emails."

"Sure is a long way for you to come from Gaza to Germany."

"Not nearly as far as it is to come from D.C. Look, she never said  
anything about..anything. If this is a problem...¨

"No, no problem." Not anything that can't be easily eliminated  
anyway. I have friends in the secret service.

At that moment, Elena Moss rushes into the room, her husband Patrick  
only a few steps behind. When she sees her daughter, she bursts into  
tears and turns into her husbands arms. Patrick sees me first.

"Josh. Thanks for getting here so quickly and getting us the constant  
updates.¡¨ He reaches out to shake my hand and I take it, but I can't  
quite meet his eyes. He knows I'm the one who sent Donna here.

Elena looks up and whatever she sees in my face compels her to take  
me in her arms and hug me. Tears gather in my eyes and I try to hold  
it together in front of the photographer. When Elena notices him, she  
pulls back and looks from me to him and back to me again.

"This is Colin Ayres, a friend of Donna's from Gaza. Elena and  
Patrick Moss, Donna's parents."

"You must be a pretty good friend to fly all the way from Gaza."  
Elena notes and I wait for his reply.

"I was there when...when it happened. I travel a lot with work and  
wanted to make sure she was alright." He paused as all three of us  
took that information in. "I'm going to go check in at my hotel and  
get cleaned up. I'd like to stop back later to see her if that's  
alright with you?"

Elena looks at me again, and I shrug like it doesn't mean anything to  
me.

"I'm sure Donna would appreciate that, Mr. Ayres. We'll look forward  
to seeing you later." After Ayres leaves, Patrick and Elena sit on  
either side of Donna.

"Cleaning up at a hotel sounds like a good idea. I need to pick up  
some clothes, too."

"Did the damn airlines lose your luggage?" Patrick asks,

"No, not this time. I left without it."

"You left for Germany without luggage? What were you thinking Josh?"  
Elena looks at me puzzled.

"I was thinking I had one hour to get to the plane and if I missed it  
I would have to wait another 4 hours to catch the next one."

Patrick and Elena exchange looks. What?

"Anyway, I'm going to clean up and get some clothes now that you're  
here."

"A nap wouldn't be out of order either Josh. We'll stay with her  
until you get back"¨ I nod, but I don't mean it. There is no way I'm  
going to be napping while Mr. Photojournalist bonds with the Moss  
clan. End of story.

Chapter 3

Donna's POV

I am never going of make fun of Josh¡¦s sensitive system again. This  
must be what he feels like on a morning after. I am nauseous,  
disoriented, my body aches, and my head feels like it¡¦s going to  
explode. Maybe he can help me with this.

¡§Josh¡K¡¨ I whisper without opening my eyes.

¡§He went to shower and change, honey. Dad and I are here.¡¨ At the  
sound of my Mother¡¦s voice, my eyes fly open. Big mistake. The room  
spins for a moment before my parents¡¦ faces come into focus.

¡§You¡¦re here? You came to Germany?¡¨ My parents hate to travel.   
My  
Mom in particular hates to fly. She keeps talking about how planes  
are way too heavy to be suspended in mid-air. If she can¡¦t drive to  
her destination, she doesn¡¦t go to her destination.

¡§Of course we¡¦re here, baby. We¡¦re so glad to see you awake and   
hear  
your voice. Josh told us you¡¦d been talking to him earlier, but it¡¦s  
good to see it for myself.¡¨ Dad told me.

¡§Josh left? Good, he needs a shower and a shave.¡¨ I close my eyes   
as  
the nausea creeps up on my again.

¡§Well he¡¦ll need to buy a shaver. Did you know the man left D.C.  
without any luggage?¡¨ Mom asks me. It takes a minute for that  
information to process through my drugged brain. He not only didn¡¦t  
stop for a beer, he didn¡¦t stop for clothes or any other luggage.  
The warm feeling in my chest has nothing to do with the morphine I  
just pumped into my body.

¡§While we are on the subject of men traveling across the globe for  
you, would you like to tell us who this Colin Ayres is?¡¨ Dad asks  
me, only half joking.

Colin¡KI thought I dreamt that he came to the hospital, but when I  
look over at the bedside table, I see the flowers he brought me in a  
vase. Colin came to Germany¡KColin came to Germany right after   
Josh.  
Josh met Colin. Oh, I can just imagine that conversation. Now I will  
have to endure endless comments about finding gomers on other  
continents.

¡§He¡¦s a friend. He showed me around Gaza.¡¨ I keep the answer   
simple  
and I look down at my blanket as I answer, but I¡¦m guessing none of  
this fools my Mother.

¡§I¡¦ll bet he did.¡¨ Mom responds; nope didn¡¦t fool her for a  
second. ¡§Can I get you anything, Donna? Maybe some soup or some  
water?¡¨

¡§I really don¡¦t think I could keep anything down right now. Thanks.  
How long can you stay?¡¨

¡§You¡¦re Dad has to go back tomorrow night, but I¡¦m here until   
you¡¦re  
ready to go home.¡¨

¡§Are we taking a boat back?¡¨ I tease her.

¡§I hadn¡¦t thought about it, but now that you bring it up¡K¡¨ We all  
share a laugh over Mom¡¦s fear of flying.

¡§Now that¡¦s what I like to see; the Moss family smiling and  
laughing. I don¡¦t even care if you¡¦re laughing at me this time,  
Donnatella.¡¨ It¡¦s Josh. He must have bought a new shaver because   
his  
face is smooth. He¡¦s dressed in casual clothes, which I don¡¦t get to  
see very often, but I like just fine. His eyes still look tired, but  
they¡¦re crinkled at the corners adding to his dimpled smile.

¡§I see that you¡¦re awake, but are you lucid?¡¨

¡§Lucid enough to know you should be at the White House.¡¨ I look him  
straight in the eye so he knows that I know what he¡¦s sacrificed to  
be here.

¡§I got my Mom to write a note to the President for me. No one messes  
with Ruth Lyman. She sends her love, by the way. I tried to call her  
from the hotel to tell her you were awake, but I couldn¡¦t get an  
answer.¡¨

¡§That¡¦s probably because she¡¦s on her way here.¡¨ I look over in  
surprise at my Mom¡¦s statement. Josh looks shocked too.

¡§When I told her Patrick could only stay a short time, she said I  
shouldn¡¦t be alone in a strange country and told me she would be  
here as soon as she could arrange things. Unlike her son, she  
prefers to pack luggage for overseas trips.¡¨

Colin knocks as he enters a moment later, and he too has cleaned up.  
Now, the fun can start. I look up at Josh just waiting for the  
obnoxious comments to come flying out, but to my surprise he only  
addresses my parents.

¡§Patrick, Elena, why don¡¦t we head down to the cafeteria and grab  
some dinner. Most of the food sucks, but I¡¦ve scoped it out and can  
show you what to stay away from.¡¨ My parents hesitate before  
accepting his offer. ¡§Can I bring anything back for you?¡¨ he asks  
me, but I shake my head no. ¡§Okay, then, we¡¦ll be back in about an  
hour. I have my cell on if you change your mind.¡¨ Then he leans over  
and looking pointedly towards Colin, kisses me on the forehead,

¡§Ms. Moss, I think there are a few things we need to discuss.¡¨ Colin  
says once we are alone in my room. I fix a confused look on my face  
which isn¡¦t too hard given my current medical condition. ¡§I¡¦m a  
little uncomfortable having the White House Deputy Chief of Staff  
staring daggers at me. Care to explain why that is?¡¨

¡§He¡¦s just protective of the people who work for him.¡¨ I hit the  
morphine button again, but I don¡¦t think I got anything from it.

¡§Donna, the world reaction to the bombing has been extraordinary. I  
can¡¦t begin to imagine what is happening at the White House, but I  
would guess they¡¦re hurting without their Deputy Chief of Staff. A  
man in his position in Government doesn¡¦t fly half way round the  
world for an assistant while the President is formulating a response  
to a violent attack on his people.¡¨

¡§We¡¦re close friends, too.¡¨ He gives me a disbelieving look. ¡§I  
swear Colin, there¡¦s never been anything else between us.¡¨

¡§Because that¡¦s the way you want it, or because your puritanical  
American workplace ethics forbid it?¡¨ He¡¦s smirking at me now,  
daring me to deny I have feelings for Josh.

¡§It has never been more than friendship, and I can¡¦t imagine  
anything changing that in the future.¡¨ I sidestep the question. I  
haven¡¦t hung out with CJ for all these years without learning some  
great avoidance techniques.

¡§Well, I don¡¦t guess you¡¦ll have to imagine much of anything much  
longer.¡¨ He laughs at my expression. ¡§We Irish have a sense about  
these matters of the heart, which is why I¡¦ll be taking my leave of  
you tomorrow. I just wanted to be sure you were going to live to  
tell great tales about me to your children some day.¡¨

¡§Why is it the men in my life all have tremendous egos?¡¨ My words  
start to slur as exhaustion takes over.

¡§Is it all right if I pop in to say goodbye tomorrow, then?¡¨

¡§Of course. I¡¦m really glad you came, Colin. I¡¦m really glad we  
met.¡¨ I can¡¦t keep my eyes open any longer and fall asleep as I feel  
him squeeze my hand.

 

Josh¡¦s POV

I¡¦m not sure what to expect when I get back to Donna¡¦s room, but I  
find Colin sitting next to Donna¡¦s bed watching the news as she  
sleeps with her hand in his. My stomach does one quick flip before I  
take a breath and blow it out. I¡¦d stand with my back against the  
wall, but not in front of the Irish dog.

¡§Looks like your boy is having a bit of trouble.¡¨ He tells me  
without looking away from the TV.

¡§My boy?¡¨ Arrogant Irish ass.

¡§Bartlet. Haffley is ready to set the building on fire if Bartlet  
doesn¡¦t retaliate soon.¡¨

¡§It¡¦s President Bartlet, and he hasn¡¦t been a boy for about 50  
years. Haffley is a blow hard who¡¦s just riding public opinion. Once  
the President turns that around, Haffley will be back on the band  
wagon humming ¡¥Hail to the Chief¡¦¡¨

¡§How can you, of all people, advocate a peaceful solution to this?  
How can you look at Donna and not want to carpet bomb the Middle  
East?¡¨

¡§Oh believe me, I do. In fact I advocated just that position to the  
Chief of Staff before I came here. But besides making me feel better  
for a few minutes, what does that really solve? We need a permanent  
solution, and President Bartlet is the one to get it.¡¨

¡§It¡¦s not that simple, man.¡¨

¡§No, the most important things never are.¡¨ I can¡¦t help but glance  
over at Donna. ¡§They targeted us on purpose. They want us as   
players  
in this fight because it gives credibility to them. We need to stay  
above the fray in this.¡¨

¡§How are you managing to stay here during this crisis?¡¨

¡§I have a secure phone. There¡¦s not much I can¡¦t do from here.¡¨

¡§Still, they¡¦re going to need you in the room eventually, no?¡¨

¡§Eventually¡K Are you heading back to Gaza? Or do you have a new  
assignment tracking Anjolina Jolie across the continent now?¡¨

¡§I¡¦m a photojournalist not paparazzi, and I am heading back to Gaza,  
after a short stop over in London.¡¨ He too, looked over at Donna,  
then got up and walked over to me. ¡§There¡¦s something I¡¦d like to  
discuss with you.¡¨

Oh, this should be good. If he asks me about keeping in touch with  
Donna, I¡¦ll tell him that¡¦s what Hallmark is for.

¡§I have something I want you to hold onto for Donna.¡¨ He hands me a

computer disc. ¡§They¡¦re pictures from Gaza. This is the only copy  
that exists. I¡¦ve deleted them from my hard drive.¡¨ He looks at me  
very seriously and I feel like I¡¦m missing the significance of the  
pictures. ¡§Maybe after you take a look at them, you¡¦ll reconsider  
the bombing option.¡¨

Now it hits me. They¡¦re pictures from the bombing. My hand starts to  
shake.

¡§You bastard. You stood and took pictures while she was in that car  
bleeding?¡¨

¡§They wouldn¡¦t let me near the vehicle. There was nothing I could do  
to help her. I took the pictures because there was nothing else I  
could do. I didn¡¦t know if I should give them to Donna.¡¨

¡§Hell no, you shouldn¡¦t give them to Donna. Are you nuts?¡¨ I am   
sure  
my face must be a shade of purple right now. ¡§She doesn¡¦t need to   
be  
reminded of this while she trying to recover. She doesn¡¦t ever need  
to see these!¡¨ My shouting starts to rouse Donna so I lower my  
voice. ¡§Take this damn thing away from me; burn it, break it, I  
don¡¦t care.¡¨ I shove the disc back towards him but he refuses to  
take it.

¡§Are you sure about that Josh? This is her story. Her entire trip to  
Gaza. I agree that now isn¡¦t the time, but you can guarantee that  
someday she might not want to see these? Maybe after your boy  
establishes peace in the Middle East she¡¦ll want to remember what  
got us all there?¡¨

Donna¡¦s parents enter the room and react to the tension in the room.

¡§Everything alright, boys?¡¨ Patrick asks.

¡§Fine. I was just leaving. I¡¦ll see you all tomorrow.¡¨ Calls Danny  
Boy as he grabs his coat and leaves for the night.

¡§Josh?¡¨ Elena touches my arm.

¡§I¡¦m going to go out and get some air. I¡¦ll be back in a bit.¡¨

¡§Why don¡¦t you go back to your room and get some sleep? You look  
exhausted.¡¨ Elena suggests to me.

¡§I just need some air.¡¨ I walk out quickly before they can ask any  
questions, but take the long way around so as not to run into Ayres  
on his way out. I am almost out the door when my cell phone rings.  
Checking the caller ID I see that it¡¦s Toby.

¡§Hey.¡¨

¡§Hey, how¡¦s Donna?¡¨

¡§A little more with it tonight. She¡¦s in a lot of pain though.¡¨ I  
can¡¦t help finger the disc in my hand as I say it. ¡§She¡¦s in a lot  
of pain.¡¨

¡§Josh, this is not your fault. Don¡¦t even go there.¡¨

¡§Right. I only sent her there. How¡¦s Andi doing?¡¨

¡§Shook up, but home safe and sound with the twins. Listen, I know  
your mind is on other things there, but I need your help with Cole.  
He¡¦s making lots of noise with the press and telling anyone with a  
microphone we need regime change for the Palestinians.¡¨

¡§He may be right.¡¨

¡§That¡¦s not the point. While he¡¦s talking about ousting Farat, we¡¦re  
talking to Farat about partnering with us in our investigation of  
the bombing. As Cole gets louder and gets more support our  
credibility with Farat and the Palestinians gets weaker and weaker.¡¨

¡§What are they discussing as options right now?¡¨

¡§Leo and the joint chiefs want to take out several military targets  
and are even making a case for attacking Iran on a preemptive strike  
philosophy.¡¨

¡§I guess that¡¦s not surprising considering Fitzwallace was a victim.  
How¡¦s the President reacting?¡¨

¡§He¡¦s got them all on a choke chain right now, but I¡¦m telling you  
Josh, he and Leo are clashing over every inch of this right in front  
of us. The President took a meeting with the Israeli Ambassador  
earlier and excluded Leo from the whole thing; sent him down to the  
sit room while he and Kate Harper went at it.¡¨

¡§Okay. I¡¦ll take care of Cole. Listen, the President can take  
retaliatory action against the specific perpetrators of the bombing  
if the FBI can get credible evidence against them, but Iran? Are you  
kidding me? Make sure the President knows he can get Stackhouse   
and  
Skinner on spin for whatever he needs. They¡¦re both hawks and the  
right will take them seriously enough that it might help sway public  
opinion.¡¨

¡§Did you see CJ¡¦s brief? The force depletion leak helped, but she  
still got hammered pretty good.¡¨

¡§I saw it. She¡¦s going to have to suffer through it until the  
President makes a call on our next move. Just keep it up with  
the ¡¥reasoned and measured¡¦ response and it will start to get  
traction.¡¨

¡§Says the guy who wanted to kill everyone who did it and everyone  
who was happy about it.¡¨

¡§I¡¦ve got a few others I¡¦d like to add to the list.¡¨

¡§Huh?¡¨

¡§There were these ticket agents at the airport, and then this  
photographer friend of Donna¡¦s who flew here from Gaza¡K¡¨ I start to  
feel my blood pressure rise just thinking about Ayres and his  
pictures; then it hits me. ¡§Hey Toby, do me a favor, will you? Have  
Bonnie research this guy. His name is Colin Ayres.¡¨

¡§What do you want to know?¡¨

¡§Everything. I think it¡¦s weird he flew here from Gaza when he¡¦s  
only known Donna a week.¡¨

¡§Maybe you just underestimate Donna¡¦s appeal.¡¨

¡§No, I don¡¦t think so. Just check him out will you? My regular  
researcher is pretty high on morphine right now.¡¨

¡§Sure. Tell her we¡¦re all thinking about her.¡¨

¡§Yeah, bye.¡¨ I flip my phone closed and sit on the short wall  
outside the main doors to the hospital. My chin is on my chest as I  
try to breathe slowly to bring my blood pressure back down, which is  
probably why I didn¡¦t see her before I heard her.

¡§Are you the famous Joshua Lyman from the White House?¡¨ My   
Mother¡¦s  
attempt at humor makes me smile.

¡§No, I¡¦m just some shmuck looking for a handout from gullible  
American women¡KHi, Mom.¡¨ I give her a hug. I hold on a little too  
long and a little too tight and she looks into my face.

¡§You need sleep, child. You don¡¦t look to surprised to see me, so  
I¡¦m guessing Elena gave me away.¡¨

¡§Yeah, about that. Why didn¡¦t you tell me, your son, that you were  
planning to come?¡¨

¡§Because you would have only said not to come and then we would   
have  
fought about it before I came. This way we avoid the fight and I get  
to be here where my son needs me.¡¨

¡§Not that I don¡¦t love to see you, but I don¡¦t need you, Mom. Donna  
was the one who was critically injured.¡¨

¡§You don¡¦t need me? Then why are you not getting any sleep? What  
have you been eating? Don¡¦t need me, he says. Besides Donna¡¦s   
Mother  
needs me. She can¡¦t stay here all alone once Patrick leaves.¡¨

¡§What am I chopped liver?¡¨

¡§Joshua. We both know you won¡¦t be able to stay much longer.   
Pretty  
soon, your phone will ring and they¡¦ll need you to go back. Frankly,  
I¡¦m surprised Leo let you come at all.¡¨

¡§I think he knew I¡¦d do him no good until I could see Donna for  
myself.¡¨

¡§Well, he might have been right for once.¡¨ She teases me and it gets  
her the desired response; I smile.

¡§I was so scared, Mom. I don¡¦t ever remember being that scared.¡¨

¡§I know Joshua, I know. Now let¡¦s go up and see your girl.¡¨

¡§She¡¦s not my girl, Mom.¡¨

¡§Is that so?¡¨

¡§She has some Irish bastard photographer with her. Followed her all  
the way from Gaza.¡¨

¡§Well you can take care of that easily enough I¡¦m sure. I wonder if  
the bastard remembered to take any luggage when he came?¡¨

¡§Very funny, Mom, very funny.¡¨

She takes my arm in hers and we walk back to Donna¡¦s room. There   
is  
great delight all around as the Moss family sees my Mother has  
arrived. Donna wakes for awhile and happily soaks up my Mother¡¦s  
fussing.

It shouldn¡¦t surprise me anymore that my Mom can still make  
everything better for me. She just sweeps in and dispenses whatever  
it is that I most need at the moment and sweeps back out. Okay,  
there¡¦s a little guilt dispensed with the love and affection, but  
it¡¦s mostly teasing.,,except for the part about the grandchildren. I  
know for certain she¡¦s very serious about the grandchildren. I also  
know for certain that I¡¦m very glad she¡¦s here.

Chapter 4

"Josh Lyman." I croak into the phone while squinting at the hotel  
clock trying to read the numbers. 4:18 AM. I'm not even really awake.  
I am sleep talking.

"Please hold for the President of the United States." Okay, now  
I'm  
awake.

"Josh, how is Donna doing?"

"She was a little better tonight, sir, but she's still pretty out  
of it. May I ask, sir, how are you doing?"

"I've had better days in this office, Josh, that's for sure. Kate  
Harper and I went to see Mrs. Fitzwallace and Congress would like me  
to throw a dart at the map and bomb wherever it lands."

"That does sound like a pretty tough day, sir, but you know better  
ones are coming right?"

"I sincerely hope so, Josh. That's why I'm calling. I'm setting  
up a conference call with Chairman Farad and Prime Minister Zahavy  
and I need you on it."

"Certainly, sir. What do you need from me?"

"I need you to come up with some incentives to get these two men in  
the same room, and some strategies for what we do once we get them  
there. Now that shouldn't be too hard, should it?"

"No, sir, piece of cake."

"Good man. Our team will pre-conference in 5 hours, then hook up our  
satellite conference with Chairman Farad and Prime Minister Zahavy   
an  
hour after that."

"Sir, I've got no support staff here. I'm going to need to hijack  
someone over there to help me out."

"Margaret's got you covered. Someone from the base will be  
contacting you within the hour to set you up with an assistant. I'm  
sorry to do this to you right now, Josh, but I need you on this."

"Of course, sir. Whatever I can do to help, I will. I'm honored  
that you'd ask. You do remember that foreign policy hasn't been my  
strong suit."

"The only way to get a muscle stronger is to work it Josh."

"Yes, sir. I'll talk to again in 5 hours Mr. President."

"Good night, Josh." I hang up the phone and think that I have got  
to find something stronger than coffee!

 

First Lieutenant Emily Malfredes is no slouch in the research  
department, but she is NO Donna Moss. For one thing, she does not  
seem to appreciate my sense of humor or my incredible intellect. When

I mentioned this fact to Mom and Donna, they pretended to be  
appalled, but I could tell they really weren't; another testament to  
my incredible intellect and people skills.

The second problem with First Lieutenant Emily Malfredes is that she  
responds to almost any question or comment with "yes, sir" or "no,  
sir". Some might imagine that given the history I have had with  
Donna as an assistant, (who could kindly be referred to as verbose  
and argumntative) would make me very appreciative of a quiet   
reserved  
assistant who only agrees with everything I say and do. They would be  
wrong. Don't tell Donna, but one of the things I like best about  
working with her, is that her debating skills keep me sharp and her  
smack downs keep my ego in check.

Sadly, I could not tell Donna any of that when I stopped to see her  
before the conference call. She looked more awake and aware this  
morning than she has since I got here, but she was also experiencing  
more pain and depression as her recovery schedule was laid out for  
her. I tried to remind her of all we got through together after  
Rosslyn and that we would do the same together now, but that just  
made her cry harder so I don¡¦t think it helped much in the cheering  
up department. With no other alternative, I went to the conference  
room in the hospital and got on the line with the President while Mom  
and Elena were left to deal with the mess I made with Donna.

One of the reasons I have difficulty with foreign policy matters is  
that in order to work on them you have to actually deal with  
foreigners. It's not the foreigners themselves that bother me,  
unless they happen to be Irish, but the fact that they all speak  
foreign languages.

See, one of the best skills I have in my repertoire is my verbal  
acuity. (760 verbal baby) This skill does not translate well to other  
languages, neither literally nor figuratively. I don't trust  
interpreters to competently transpose my very carefully chosen  
English words into whatever language they need to be translated into.  
When you add more people with more interpreters, as we did today, it  
only gets more confusing. Not only couldn't I find the hook to  
getting those two leaders to meet together, I couldn't even find the  
hook to get them on the same phone line together. So we went back   
and  
forth between the Chairman and the Prime Minister forever.

The result being that I have a huge migraine, a sleep deprived body,  
and literally nothing to show for it. I sleepwalk back to Donna's  
room and slump in the chair next to her. She doesn't look any better  
except that she's stopped crying. She does keep asking me questions  
about the Lieutenant like: Does she use note cards? Is her  
handwriting legible? Etc. I assure her it is only temporary until my  
current assistant quits lollygagging around in Europe and I got a  
half smile for my effort.

I reach over to get my cup from her bedside table when I notice an  
unusual bouquet. When I ask her who they¡¦re from she tells me she  
can't tell because the card isn't in English. I pick it up, sure  
that her comment is drug induced, but she's right it looks like  
Arabic.

My next thought is the bouquet was delivered to the wrong person, but  
at the top of the card is Donna's full name and room number. This  
sets off all kinds of alarm bells for me. I leave Donna in my  
Mother's care and literally run to find a fax. I'll send it to Kate  
Harper.

She'll know what it means.

Chapter 5

Flowers, it turns out, have specific meanings besides ‘sorry I fucked   
up again’. The ones sent to Donna mean ‘peace’, which alone made   
me feel better until Kate translated the note that came with it. One of   
the factions of the Palestinian group under Farad wants a meeting   
with me at a local restaurant. When I told the President that foreign   
policy wasn’t my strong suit, I may have been overstating it a bit.

Have you ever watched a James Bond movie or maybe Mission   
Impossible ant thought to yourself, ‘it would be so cool to be a spy’?” I   
have to admit that I have. However, the reality of that job is much   
different than the entertainment version. Being told you are going to   
have a secret meeting with a member of a terrorist group, excuse me,   
freedom fighting group, who is probably carrying a weapon and   
certainly knows how to use one while I am armed with a picture taking   
cell phone that I have trouble using without help from Donna…Just the   
idea of it sends chills down my spine. Let me be absolutely clear about   
this: Mom, Donna, and even Donna’s parents who don’t know me that   
well, all agree it would be a horrific mistake to send me to this meeting.

So, I’m sitting at the restaurant waiting for…the guy to show and I’ve   
already spilled my drink twice, when it hits me; what if the guy doesn’t   
speak English? I hit Kate on speed dial, which Donna programmed for   
me, and she assures me that whoever they send will be able to speak   
with me.

She’s right. He speaks very good English and has very specific ideas   
about how to get everyone we need in the room. He speaks   
passionately and eloquently about the plight of the Palestinians and I   
feel strangely moved by it all. I spend another hour after he leaves   
briefing the President and company on the details of the meeting.   
They are going to run with it and see if they can get the parties to   
meet at Camp David.

When I get back to the hospital, Mom is waiting for me at the entrance.   
Her eyes telegraph trouble.

“Josh, Donna was having chest pains and trouble breathing so they   
just ran a cat scan and found a pulmonary embolism.” That’s what   
killed Dad. I feel like my knees are giving way, but Mom is pulling me   
to the elevators. “They’re going to take her into surgery shortly and   
she’s asking for you.”

I move quickly and soon I am joining Donna in the O.R. They have   
given her a small white board and a marker to communicate since she   
has a tube down her throat and can’t talk. She writes: nice hat. A   
commentary on the scrub outfit I am wearing.

“Very fashionable, isn’t it? Everything is going to be fine, you know.”   
She writes one word: scared. “Don’t be. These are the finest doctors   
in Europe. You relax, Donnatella, and I’ll be right here when you wake   
up.” The doctor announces they are starting the anesthesia and I hold   
her hand in both of mine and watch her blue eyes until they finally   
close.

Excessive bleeding, oxygen deprivation in the brain, possible   
neurological damage. Anything else? No? Are you sure, because   
maybe we could pile on a few more complications here. It’s been 4   
hours since Donna’s procedure was completed, four hours since they   
told us about the complications and I am crawling out of my skin.   
Everyone aggress that the next several hours will tell the tale and the   
longer she’s unconscious, the worse it is for Donna.

My phone rings for the third time, and again I forward it to voice mail   
without looking at the caller ID. This alarms Elena who has been   
dozing on and off in the corner couch while my Mom and Patrick went   
to forage for food for everyone.

“Josh, shouldn’t you answer that? What if it’s the President?”

“The President has an entire Government at his disposal and if he   
really needs something from me, I’m sure he can manage to leave a   
message. I know what my priorities are.”

“How is she doing, Mrs. Moss?” Great, photo boy has arrived.   
Apparently he called earlier and got the run down from Elena, but now   
he’s live and in person.

“We don’t know yet, Colin, she hasn’t woken up.”

“She’s going to be fine, I’m sure. She’s a strong woman.” He walks   
over to her and sits on the opposite side of her bed from me.

This has potential. I am feeling anxious, frustrated, and impatient, and   
who should be sitting opposite me, but the perfect target for all my   
bottled up emotions.

“So, how much do you make capturing the suffering of others on film?”   
Not bad for an opening salvo.

“Not nearly as much as you and your buddies get for causing the   
suffering of others.” His eyes meet mine and the battle is on.

“No, see that’s the difference between you and me. I spend my time   
trying to eradicate the suffering of others while you take pictures of   
the people who are suffering.”

“What the hell are you on about?”

“I’m talking about taking pictures of people bleeding to death while   
trapped in burning vehicles. That’s what I’m ‘on about mate’.”

“I already told you. The soldiers wouldn’t let us near the car. Do you   
honestly think I wouldn’t have helped if I could?

“Not if it means losing prize winning, cash collecting pictures of the   
American delegation being murdered.”

“Josh…”

“They had weapons. Just what would you expect me to do?” he asks   
incredulously.

“I would expect you to protect her from guys who want to hurt her. I   
would expect you to march past whatever gun wielding soldiers were   
between you and her and get her out of the damn car. I would expect   
that you’d stay with her when she recovers and when they airlift her to   
freaking Germany, that you’d follow her without taking the time to pack   
stupid clothes!”

“Josh…”

“Because when you care about someone, when you really love them;   
that’s what you do!”

I’ve lost Colin’s attention and see that he’s looking at Donna. That’s   
when it hits me that it was her voice calling me during my little nutty   
there.

“Josh, what have I told you about shouting?” she asks me, her voice   
scratchy from disuse.

“Don’t do it.”

“That’s right, but if you want to repeat that last part in a quieter voice,   
that would be okay.” Her eyes are bright with tears and her Mother   
grabs my arm as she laughs.

“Told you we Irish have a sense about these things.” Colin smiles and   
squeezes her hand. “Be well, Donna Moss. It was a pleasure knowin’   
ya.” He nods farewell to Elena and I and leaves.

Donna is struggling to stay awake and talk to me.

“It’s okay, Donnatella. You’re okay. Just rest now.” I pull the blanket   
higher to cover her more.

“Love you too.” She rasps out before she succumbs to sleep.

“I know.” And to my surprise, I really do.  
Go to chapters 6-10


	2. Priorities chapters 6-10

Chapter 6

Don't tell Mom, but she was right again. The phone call came. In  
fact, 3 of them came while I was waiting for Donna to wake up. I sent  
them all to voice mail at the time, but now I've heard them and I  
need to make some decisions. It all comes back to priorities. What  
are my priorities?

Kate Harper said my Palestinian contact talked the chairman into  
meeting at Camp David and told the chairman I was reasonable and  
trustworthy. I said I could find any number of Republicans who would  
disagree with that assessment, but Kate Harper was not amused. The  
President needs me at the summit and we need some time to prepare  
beforehand. Commander Harper tells me I've been booked on a flight  
out tomorrow afternoon.

It hits me then that no one has asked me if that's okay or if that  
will work for me. There wasn't even the courtesy question about how  
Donna is doing. I serve at the pleasure of the President and the  
President wants me to return to D.C. tomorrow at 5:37. End of story.

Maybe that would have been fine a few weeks ago, but not now. I am  
really struggling here. If I go, I'll only have about 18 hours left  
with Donna. What if something else happens? I need more time to   
think  
and I certainly need more sleep. I lay down on the bed next to Donna  
and let sleep take over.

I wake up to the touch of Donna's hand stroking my head.

"Good morning." I croak.

"You need to shave again."

"Maybe if you'd stop scaring the hell out of me, I'd have time to  
shave and take a shower. Your folks planned to have breakfast with   
my  
Mom. They're both going to be 10 pounds heavier when she's done   
with  
them. How about you? Ready to try some broth or juice?"

"I could try some juice."

"Would Madame prefer apple, orange, or grapefuit juice for her  
morning repast?"

"Apple would be fine." She watches me as I go to the mini fridge in  
her room and pour some apple juice in a cup with a straw.

"I think Madame will enjoy this mornings beverage, having come from a  
particularly rich crop of apples in New England." I bring the cup to  
her with a flourish.

"Josh, what's wrong?" Why can I never hide anything from this woman?

 

"Nothing. I personally would have gone with the orange juice, but  
whatever."

"Joshua. Talk to me."

"I got a call from the White House. The President wants me on a  
flight back this afternoon."

She nods and smiles a little but two tears escape before she can stop  
them.

"Of course. We were lucky they let you come in the first place." She  
unknowingly echoes my Mom.

"What time do you leave?"

"If I go, the flight is at 5:37. Why do they always schedule flights  
at weird times like that? What's wrong with 5:35 or 5:40? Of course  
with my crappy watch it's all academic anyway."

"What do you mean `if' you go?"

"I haven't decided whether I'm going or not."

"Josh the President has ordered you to go. You go."

"Maybe serving at the President's pleasure isn't what I want to do  
anymore."

"Of course it is. It's the only thing you've ever wanted to do."

"Things change."

"Not that."

"We'll see…"

"Joshua."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore right now Donna." I snap and  
her face flinches.

"Don't use me as an excuse to quit the only job you've ever wanted.  
You'll only end up hating me later for it." She tells me quietly.

"Look, Elena, our Sleeping Beauty is awake." Patrick announces as   
the  
parents arrive.

"Yes, and she's been served a light breakfast of apple juice." I  
announce to the ooh's and aah's of the parents.

"Mr. Lyman?" A nurse interrupts us. "There's an urgent call for you  
at the desk. Would you like me to transfer it in here?"

"Yes, thanks." I pull out my cell to see the battery has gone dead. I  
was going to put it in the charger last night, but I just fell asleep.

I pick it up when it rings and Mom tries to distract the Moss family  
with a story of something stupid I did when I was like 6. There is a  
brief pause on the line and then CJ's voice comes on.

"Josh? Are you there?"

"Yeah, CJ, it's Germany not Mars."

"I have some news." She tells me.

"I would hope so, being that you're the Press Secretary. Did you leak  
the summit info yet?"

"It isn't about Gaza, Josh, listen to me a minute." She pauses and it  
sounds like she's crying and trying to pull it together.

"Is it the President? What time is it there?" I know MS attacks can  
be more frequent with stressful situations and this has been one long  
week of stress.

"The President is fine. It's Leo. He had a heart attack. Margaret  
found him in his office this morning. They took him to GW. The  
President and the First Lady are on their way there now."

"Oh God, Leo?" My mind is busy trying to take this in and the room  
falls silent around me.

"Margaret told me your scheduled to leave there in a few hours, but  
you need to turn on your cell so we can give you updates and get  
advice. Josh, are you there?"

"Yeah, my battery is dead. I'll…I'll get it charged. They don't have  
any prognosis?"

"It was a massive coronary episode; that's all I know. Josh, we've  
got the leaders of the Middle East coming for a peace summit in 3  
days, and the President is getting close to ordering an air strike on  
the training camps that are responsible for the Gaza bombing. I'm  
supposed to brief in 2 ½ hours…Help!"

"Okay, has anyone got the word on Leo yet?"

"I don't think so. Even at the White House there aren't that many  
people here at this hour."

"Grab Greg Brock or someone else you trust and give them the story.  
Give them bare bones medical facts and stress that this unfortunate  
development in no way deters or distracts from the peace summit or  
the President's ability to punish those responsible for Gaza. I'm  
going to need Toby." There is a click and a pause.

"We're both here on speaker, Josh." Toby tells me.

"We're going to need a spin speech Toby. If this strike happens-"

"When it happens." He interrupts me.

"When it happens, he needs to say that although the individuals  
responsible deserve retribution, this does not detract from our  
ultimate goal of achieving peace."

"So, any resemblance this air strike has to, you know, war, is  
strictly coincidence."

"You got it. Bailey has a lot of experience with the diplomatic  
writing, why don't you tag him for some help with language, then fax  
me a rough draft. Margaret has the number. I'm going to buy an extra  
cell phone battery right now. I'd like updates every 30 minutes."

"Right." "Got it." they reply.

"Talk to you soon." I turn to see everyone staring at me.

"Leo's had a massive heart attack. They just took him to GW." My eyes

are only on Donna now. She knows what this means.

"I'm going to go back to the hotel and pack. I'll be back as soon as  
I can."

After a quick stop to get another couple batteries, better safe than  
sorry, I pack my stuff at the hotel. There isn't much to pack, and  
without Donna to yell at me, I pretty much just shove it all in my  
bag. I do take a minute to shave since that seems to be a sticking  
point with Donna.

By the time I get back to the hospital, CJ has an update for me.  
They're doing bypass surgery and expect him to be in surgery for the  
next few hours. The President will be giving the green light on the  
air strike within the hour. He's receiving a security briefing at the  
White House as we speak. I rattle off a couple more ideas for her  
press briefing and remind her about who to tag for spin until I get  
back. My flight leaves at 5:37 PM and I land in D.C. at 8:54 PM. Nice  
trick, isn't it? Ride a plane for 10 hours and land 3 hours after you  
left.

Everyone clears out of Donna's room when I get back. I lay on the bed  
with her, careful not to jostle her at all, and pull her into my arms.

"You know if it weren't for Leo, I wouldn't be leaving you."

"You're not leaving me Josh, you're going to work where you are  
seriously needed right now. Besides, I'm in very capable hands here  
between my parents and your mother. Frankly, I think one of them  
should go to look after you. You don't have a very good track record  
for taking care of yourself."

"I guess not. I just wish-"

"I know. I do too, but it won't be long before I can fly home."

"That's not good enough."

"It'll have to be. Even Josh Lyman can't increase the rate of a  
healing body. Go see Leo, and help the President. Whatever you do,  
don't rearrange anything in the office while I'm gone."

"Too late."

"Josh!"

"You were gone a whole week! What was I supposed to do?"

"Leave things alone until I got back?"

"Nah, this way when you come back you'll see how much I need you."

"You should get something to eat before you go to the airport. You  
never eat airline food."

"Nope. I am spending every minute until I leave right here."

Chapter 7

It's around 9:30 when I finally get to the White House. I desperately  
want to get to GW to see Leo, who is off bypass now, but first there  
are a few fires I need to put out. CJ meets me in the lobby and  
starts firing off information almost faster than I can take it in.  
We're getting world reaction to the President's air strike. Toby and  
Will did a great job with his speech and opinion is mostly favorable.  
Congress, including Haffley as I predicted, are all standing squarely  
behind the President now that the strike has happened. Don't think I  
didn't watch CNN and CSPAN in Germany and make a list of the  
Congressmen and women I will be visiting later.

I'm having a hard time resisting the urge to call Donna, but it¡¦s  
2:30 in the morning there and she needs her rest more than I need to  
hear her voice...but only just barely. After CJ gives me the update on  
her end, I am ushered into the Oval where the President is surrounded  
by staff. He doesn¡¦t notice me at first. I'm thinking I haven't seen  
him look so tired and¡Kold before. That¡¦s what that job does to you I  
guess.

"Josh, welcome back, we're glad to see you." He tells me when he  
spots me at the door.

"Thank you sir. I see you've been busy while I've been gone."

"Well, you know, I hate to be bored. Can I have the room please?¨ At  
the quiet question everyone quickly exits. "Have a seat Josh."

"Yes, sir. CJ tells me Leo is off bypass."

"I just left him a little while ago. He's weak of course, and he's  
not out of the woods yet, but he's in good hands. At least that's  
what my wife tells me. Anyway, with Leo out of commission I'm going  
to need you to step up to the plate and take over his office."

"I'd be honored to serve as interim Chief of Staff until Leo comes  
back."

"Leo isn't coming back, Josh."

"Not for awhile, no, but-"

"Not at all. We talked and I've accepted his resignation. I'm talking  
about a permanent position as my Chief of Staff."

"Sir, I'm flattered of course, but I can't accept a permanent  
position as Chief of Staff."

"Excuse me?"

"The events of the last couple weeks have caused me to re-evaluate   
my  
priorities and I'm not sure yet what that means in terms of my  
current assignment here, but I do know I am not prepared to take  
anything more on without talking to- without time to consider the  
impact a career move like that would have on my life."

"I need you Josh."

"And I'm here for you sir, just as an interim COS instead of a  
permanent one."

"Let's do this. I'll have CJ announce that you're serving as interim  
COS. You take some time and see whether it's something you might   
be  
able to take on permanently and I¡¦ll ask you again once we've passed  
through the current crisis and had time to decompress."

I smile at his obvious chess move, but it's not an unreasonable  
request given the circumstances.

"I can live with that, Mr. President, but you need to have a plan B  
for when I step down."

"I can live with that. I'll hand the job of developing a plan B over  
to my new interim COS." Yeah, I know; check and mate.

At 2 AM the President sends us all to get some sleep and I crash on  
Leo's couch. At 3:30 my phone rings and it's Donna. Oh shit. I really  
should have called her before I went to sleep. I think about taking  
the coward's way out and letting it go to voice mail. I dismiss that  
idea quickly. I'm in the White House now and Donna has all those  
numbers. She could get in touch with any number of people who work  
here and get them to drag my ass to a phone. Time to take my   
medicine.

"Hi honey, how're you feeling." I ask her drowsily.

"Don't you 'honey' me, Joshua Lyman. Don't you think you should   
have  
called me with news like this?" Oh, is she pissed. Well, I guess she  
has a right to be, even though we talked about this possibility  
before I left...in detail.

"I certainly should have." I agree immediately, but this doesn't take  
the wind out of her sails as I hoped it might.

"You're damn right you certainly should have. I have to hear the news  
that you're the new White House Chief of Staff from CJ? From CJ on  
the news?"

"Baby, don't get upset, it's not good for you."

"Then why are you doing things that make me upset, Joshua?"

"It's only temporary." She hurrumphs at me. "It is! I made the  
President promise."

"Then why was CJ announcing on the news that the President has   
every  
hope of making it permanent?" She said that? I've got to get a copy  
of the news clip. In the meantime, damage control.

"I'm sure they're just trying to present an air of permanence and  
stability. We're in the middle of an international crisis here,  
Donnatella."

"I¡¦m in the middle of this particular international crisis, Joshua."

"Oh, yeah, that's right."

"That's right. Are you eating anything decent?"

"Yeah, the First Lady brought healthy provisions for all of us."

"How about sleeping?"

"I was sleeping pretty good until the phone woke me. Seriously, I got  
plenty of sleep on the plane."

"No you didn't."

"No, I didn't but I got plenty of rest."

"Josh, please take care of yourself and no more life altering  
announcements on CNN, okay?"

"I promise. I love you."

"Love you too. Good night."

The world may be going to hell in a hand basket, but in the world of  
Josh Lyman, life is pretty good.

Chapter 8

Day 2 Camp David

"What you fail to understand Mr. Lyman, is the oppression that my  
people have suffered at the hand of your people in Gaza."

"There aren't any American soldiers in Gaza, Mr. Chairman."

"Not Americans Mr. Lyman, Jews." I laugh, I actually laugh.

"You find the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza humorous?"

"No, I find it humorous that you consider them 'my people'. Toby  
Ziegler would tell you I'm hardly qualified to speak on behalf of any  
Jews let alone the devout Jews in Gaza. What you fail to understand,  
Mr. Chairman, is that my ultimate goal is about a fair, equitable  
settlement for both parties, and I¡¦m not about to derail that by  
playing favorites based on the religion I was raised in."

"The partition lines drawn-"

"Were arbitrary to begin with, sir. Since that solution pleased  
absolutely no one, let's throw the entire thing out the window and  
start from scratch." I pause and let my words sink in for a  
moment. "We can start over and try to do a better job of this, but we  
can't start at all as long as you and the Prime Minister are more  
concerned with listing past grievances rather than future plans."

"Future plans are built on the history between us."

"They can't be. I¡¦m sorry sir, but you can hang on to the injustices  
done to you or you can forge a new relationship with Israel that will  
help your people, but you can't do both. I think they need a new  
beginning with Israel more than they need their pride."

"And what of their part in this?"

"I promise you they are getting the same advice from Kate Harper that  
I am sharing with you right now. Let' find a compromise. Let' start  
with Jerusalem."

"We would be willing to make some concessions on the supervision   
and  
administration of some of the Holy sites."

"Great, let's start there. Name them for me, please."

 

"We're stuck." I pound my head against the wall I have been standing  
up against for the past two hours. "We are so close, and to get stuck  
now is-"

"Suicide inducing?" the President chimes in as he digs into another  
carton of ice cream.

Kate Harper is lying on the floor and Toby Ziegler is face down on  
the couch. To say we have hit rock bottom might be overstating it a  
bit. That thought makes me smile as it reminds me of Donna. We talk  
several times a day and I get many emails from her reminding me to do

this or that, but it isn't enough.

Finally, tomorrow she comes home. She still has a long road ahead of  
her in terms of rehabilitation and recovery, but I don¡¦t know anyone  
as strong as Donna. Toby mumbles something from between the   
cushions  
of the couch and I snap back to the present conversation.

"What was that Tobus?"

"I think he said he'd rather have the President read a speech written  
by Elmo than go back to the negotiating table." Kate provided and I  
laughed.

"Boy, having children has really changed your frame of reference,  
hasn't it?" I mock him.

"Just wait until it's your turn. You'll hate Elmo even more than me,  
I promise you."

Will comes in with the items typed up that we have been able to get  
agreement on so far and gets CJ on the speakerphone to get us all  
caught up on the details. Maybe a fresh voice will inspire us.

"Hey, Ceej. Nice work at your 8:00 briefing. Leo will be so proud  
when he sees how you rejected the premise of every question in the  
room."

"I can only work the material you give me, mi amour. Got anything new  
I can announce?"

"Apparently, Elmo will be writing the President's next major  
address." I offer.

"Are you guys drunk over there?"

"I wish. You can let them know we've had another day of-"

"Migraines and gastrointestinal issues." Toby interrupts.

"I was thinking more along the lines of progress and open dialogue."

"Well you say potato." Toby puts his face back into the couch  
cushions.

"All parties remain hopeful of a positive outcome." Kate adds.

"Sure they do." CJ interjects. "I¡¦m going to need another update  
before I throw myself into the lion's den tomorrow at noon. Can we  
schedule another conference call at 11?"

"Yes." "Sure" "Works for me" is chorused until I remember something.

"No, I'm not available at 11." The President stops eating ice cream  
and looks over at me.

"Have you got a hair cut appointment or something?"

"Donna's flight arrives at 11:28 tomorrow and I'm picking her up."

"Josh-"

"Mr. President, we discussed this. Acting as interim COS doesn't mean  
I'm going to change my priorities."

"I am sure if you picked up the phone right now and talked to Leo he  
would tell you that some parts of this job require temporary  
readjustment of those priorities."

"But I can't talk to Leo right now, Mr. President, since he's  
recovering from a massive coronary episode because he didn't have   
any  
balance in his life. He is also divorced because he put his job  
before his marriage. I don¡¦t intend to make the same mistakes he  
did."

"Tell you what, Josh, when your wife starts complaining about your  
hours and responsibilities in this job, you can be excused from them."

"Okay, but she's over the Atlantic at the moment, so you'll have to  
wait until her plane lands in D.C. at 11:28 tomorrow." Dead silence..  
wait for it..

"What the hell are you talking about?" Toby is now sitting up,  
staring at me.

"Donna married you?!" This from CJ.

"When did this happen exactly?" the President demands. Will and Kate  
just stare with their jaws open.

"We got married the afternoon I left." I decide to answer the  
President first since CJ's question was just insulting. ¡§Our parents  
were there, and I just didn't want to wait another minute to marry  
her."

"Josh, that is so romantic, and completely unlike you." CJ is  
laughing.

"Mazel Tov, my friend." Toby gives me a one handed hug. "Asked her  
while she was still on major pain medication, huh?"

"I figured it could only help."

"Well, now, Joshua, this changes things a bit. It seems I have  
deprived you and Donna of any kind of honeymoon. When you go   
pick her  
up tomorrow, bring her back her with you. Camp David may not be an  
ideal Honeymoon spot, but at least you'll be together."

"That's kind of you sir, but we've arranged to have some help for her  
at home until I get back."

"Then un-arrange it, got it?"

"Yes, sir." I smirk as I think about what Donna's reaction to  
the 'invitation' is going to be. Middle East peace summit, Donna's  
return, and a Honeymoon ordered by the President of the United  
States. Tomorrow is shaping up to be a very interesting day.

Chapter 9

I look at my watch again, even though Margaret swore to me that she  
would alert me when it was time to head to the airport. Three hours  
until she lands, and I am an absolute basket case. It's that old  
adage; a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I know enough about  
embolisms to know that traveling for several hours, sitting in the  
same position can be dangerous in terms of developing more clots.  
Yes, she's on medication to thin her blood, and yes, she promised to  
do her moving and stretching every hour, but it's not helping my  
anxiety.

To further complicate things, the agency I hired to help with Donna's  
rehab and recovery didn't pass the secret services' vetting process,  
a subject to which I will be returning to later since Ron Butterfield  
was pretty sketchy on the details. Now it looks like Donna will be  
enjoying the medical skills of the First Lady of the United States  
until we can make other arrangements.

 

I glance at my watch again as I listen to Kate Harper extol the  
virtues of the latest compromise and I'm not the only one who has  
lost interest. The President notices this as well, and calls for a  
break until the afternoon. People get up and scatter before he  
changes his mind.

"Getting a little anxious, Josh?" We're the only people left in the  
room, the President and I.

"Yes, sir. I don't think I'll be able to relax until she's on the  
ground."

"She'll be here very soon now. I know it'll be awhile before she¡¦s  
fully recovered, but you should think about taking a belated  
honeymoon trip when she is."

"I think she'd like that very much, sir. It's going to be tough for  
her for awhile. Maybe that would give her something to look forward  
to. A long term reward."

"Yes, people can get through almost anything if they know there's a  
big payoff in the end." He tells me.

"A big payoff..." I repeat. "A really big payoff...Mr. President, I  
think we need to bring our people back in here. I've got an idea."

 

# # # # # # # # #  
# # #

I am holding a cardboard sign with the words "Mrs. Lyman" written on  
them. I am pretty sure I know how this will be received, but I also  
know Mrs. Lyman would expect nothing less from me. Finally she is  
pushed down the gate in her wheelchair and her mouth twitches when  
she sees my sign.

"Is your Mother coming?" she asks me.

"No, just my beautiful wife."

"Then your sign is wrong. There's no hyphen."

"Donna..." I whine

"We discussed this and I was very clear about having a hyphen."

"I thought it was just the drugs you were on."

"Moss-Lyman with a hyphen, Joshua. You promised."

"Just think of the special treatment you'll get in Washington when  
you use Mrs. Lyman."

"You mean from all the enemies you've made in that town?"

"All the enemies? Please. Besides they won't be vocal anymore now  
that I'm Chief of Staff."

"Hyphen, Joshua."

"We can discuss it on the way to Camp David. I have a van waiting so  
you can stretch out during the trip."

"On the way where?"

"The President has arranged for a personal physician to take care of  
you at Camp David."

"I though we already arranged for a nurse to stay with me at your  
place."

"Our place, and yes, we did, but the President overruled us on that  
one."

"Then by 'personal physician' would you be referring to the First  
Lady?"

"Hey, not many people get to say their doctor is the First Lady of  
the United States."

"I'd be willing to forego that honor. Josh, I"d really just rather go  
home. I don't want everyone to see me like this."

"Like what? Is it the wheelchair that makes you self-conscious or the  
lovely compression stockings you have on to prevent clotting?"

"Josh.." she practically growls at me and I smile because I've missed  
her growling at me so much over the last week and a half.

"Truly, they are quite fetching. Maybe I'll get you to wear them even  
after you're fully recovered. Hey! I can get the ones I wore after  
Rosslyn and we'll match!"

"My head is starting to hurt."

"Then I will let you rest during the trip to Camp David and fill you  
in on 'the rules' later."

"Excuse me? Rules?" Yeah, she growls again.

"I take your recovery and rehabilitation very seriously. I have a  
list of appropriate...let's call them guidelines, drawn up by Dr.  
Bartlet and your doctor in Germany." At this point, we get to the van  
and my detail helps me ease Donna from the wheelchair into the van  
and I take a seat next to her. I gently guide her head down to lay on  
my lap and I stroke her hair.

"Just relax and I'll tell you stories of my brilliant foreign policy  
ideas."

"That shouldn't take long."

"What happened to love, honor and cherish, Donnatella. Doesn't that  
imply supporting and encouraging your husband's ego?"

"Didn't read it in the fine print."

"It was in German." I quip and start to fill her in on how  
negotiations are going. Donna's here and I get to bounce my ideas off  
her brilliant, quirky mind. It feels right and comfortable all at the  
same time. I was a little afraid that getting married might change  
how we work together, but after our conversation/debate on the way to  
Camp David, I realize that fear was unfounded. This is how it was  
meant to be all along.

Chapter 10

A/N: Big, big, HUGE thanks to Amy for her medical information and  
willingness to answer my ignorant questions about medical procedures  
and rehabilitation. She is an amazing resource and any mistakes of  
medical lingo or descriptions are mine alone.

 

Well, we've laid the groundwork for the big push with the chairman  
and the Prime Minister. It took several hours to get through all the  
details and answer their questions, but it's out of our hands now. I  
return to my cabin to find Donna being tortured under the supervision  
of the First Lady. Apparently, the First Lady believes Donna capable  
of doing a couple more reps of stretching and Donna feels that she is  
not. They don't come right out and say this of course, but my keen  
people skills pick up the sub-text.

"I notice you stand out of my reach when you say that." Donna is  
telling her.

"Stretch a little farther and maybe you'll be able to reach me  
tomorrow." Dr. Bartlet replies.

"You better hope not, Abby, or you're going to need that secret  
service protection of yours."

"5 more Donna and we can call it quits for the night."

"Who the hell is WE?"

"5 more."

"No way. I am done. Do you hear me? Done."

"Well, you'll be done after you do 5 more. Until then you¡¦re just a  
pain in the ass."

"Abby, I can't! I seriously can't! Just help me get back in bed."  
Donna is now on the verge of tears and I can't have that.

Here, let's get you-" I start only to have Abby slap me away from  
Donna.

"Get out, Josh." She orders me.  
"Mrs. B., she's had a long day. Let her just rest for now."

"She's going to have a lot of long days, Joshua. You of all people  
know that recovery is a long, painful process. Now go away until  
we're done and then you two can bitch about me later." I meet her  
eyes and see two things: sympathy and determination. It's the  
combination of those two that seal the deal for me.

"Okay, Donna, let's finish up here. The President promised there'd be  
French fries on the menu for you tonight. 5 more and you can steal as  
many off my plate as you want." Abby nods at me in encouragement.

"Josh, I can't. My leg is throbbing and cramping so badly." She turns  
on the waterworks and even uses the pout, but I know Abby is right.

"You can do it, Donna. You're the strongest person I know. Just think  
of it as one more to get you started. That's how you'd always trick  
me, remember? You'd say 'One more Josh' like 10 times in a row and  
I'd be so busy listening to your voice I wouldn't notice how many '1  
mores' you were telling me."

"Yeah, but I'm not likely to fall for that shit, now am I? And why do  
I have to have the First Lady doing this to me? I can't even hit her  
because of the secret service."

"Well, the first rehab provider didn't pass vetting due to some  
unfortunate choices he made in his past." I tell her trying to  
distract her. "One more now."

"What unfortunate choices?"

"Did you know someone can be a licensed therapist even if they have   
a  
felony conviction..or two?" I ask her. "Now another one, good job."

"A felony conviction? You hired a felon to do my rehab?" Now she's  
pumping her leg in the stretches without my encouragement.

"In all fairness, you were always the one to research and vet people  
we needed before this. So, it's really your own fault that it was  
left to me."

"You couldn't ask Margaret, or I don't know, one of Toby's twins to  
help you?"

"I wanted to do it myself. You know, to show you I could take care of  
YOU instead of always the other way around."

"That didn't work so well for me, did it?"

"Sure it did. You've got Dr. Bartlet here, one of the greatest  
physicians in the country, personally overseeing your rehab, and  
because of me we found out the other guy had drug and assault  
convictions." I smile like I personally saved her from a dope dealing  
thug. Abby laughs.

"Okay, Donna, you did ten! You are done for the day. Josh, why don't  
you go bring some food back for your wife while I get her settled  
back in bed to rest?" Abby decides.

Donna is still scowling at both of us, but I'm smiling so hard my  
dimples about bust off my face 'cause Dr. Bartlet just said 'your  
wife'. So I do as I'm told and go get her some food.

 

# # # # # # # # #

 

After dinner, I take Donna for a wheelchair ride through Camp David.  
We stop on a bridge to just take it all in.

"The President says I should take you for a belated honeymoon when  
you're well enough."

"That would be nice." She's still very quiet; has been since I walked  
in on the end of her therapy session with Dr. Bartlet.

"I think you should pick where we go. Think of someplace special and  
make the arrangements. It might help to have something to work  
towards." I tell her.

"Why bother? The Chief of Staff can't just take off on a vacation  
with all these high level meetings going on." She's not even looking  
at me now, so I squat down next to her and turn her chair around  
until we're eye to eye.

"I'm interim Chief of Staff and I already promised you we come first  
in my list of priorities. I'm sorry about before, Donna, but I  
thought Mrs. B. was right. You're going to have to push past your  
comfort level. It's the only way to get you better."

"And what if I don't?" she asks quietly.

"Excuse me? Where is this coming from?" I ask puzzled.

"I can read a medical report. There was severe damage to my leg   
bones  
and muscles. There's a chance I won't be able to fully recover."

"There is no chance of that. It is going to take hard work, no  
question, but you are going to fully recover. I promise you that."  
Tears slide down her cheeks and I want to take this burden away from  
her so badly, but I can't. Instead, I simply hold her.

Will comes running over to the bridge and gestures me over to him.

"What's up? Did we get an answer from someone already?"

"I think you need to come back with me. Can you leave Donna with Dr.  
Bartlet?"

"Why? What's going on?"

"CJ just called. There's something she wants you to see." There's an  
urgent tone to his voice I don't like, but I don't want to ignore it  
either.

"Yeah, okay, will you bring Donna back for me?" he nods. "Donna, I  
need to go check on something for CJ. I'll come get you as soon as  
I'm done." She nods sadly but smiles to let me know she understands.

When I get to our conference room, it's so quiet you could hear a pin  
drop. This does not bode well.

"I'm here, what's so important?"

"CJ wanted us to show you this tape." Ed says without making eye  
contact with me.

The TV turns on and the tape rolls. It is Colin Ayres and he is being  
interviewed from a studio in London. He begins with his first hand  
account of the bombing in Gaza and goes on to discuss his close  
relationship with a top White House Aid. My blood is already boiling  
when he segues into my appearance in Germany and how I was  
orchestrating top secret meetings with Palestinian officials there.

I sink down into a chair as I think through the implications of this  
interview. The Prime Minister is going to blow a gasket as he already  
thinks I'm leaning too much in favor of the Palestinians. I keep  
going with this line of thought as Ayres drones on about the  
impossibility of peace in Gaza. Apparently, he's a photojournalist  
and a foreign policy expert...how handy.

"First, we need to shut this guy up. Why didn't we get a heads up on  
this before it aired? Never mind, that's water under the bridge.  
Next, someone besides me needs to see that the Prime Minister gives  
no credence to anything Ayres says." I stop because I'm interrupted  
by the entrance of the President.

"Good evening, sir."

"Josh. How bad is it?" he asks me.

"Pretty bad, Mr. President, but it'll get worse if you don't send  
someone to talk to Prime Minister Zahavy immediately." I hardly have  
the words out of my mouth, however, when the man himself appears. I  
ask the rest of the staff for the room.

"Mr. President. Mr. Lyman. I came here in good faith in an effort to  
reach a peaceful agreement with Chairman Farad, even though I had  
grave misgivings about his trustworthiness. Never did I think I had  
to question the trustworthiness of the members of the Unites States  
delegation!" He is practically shouting now.

"Mr. Prime Minister, I assure you-" I start but the President  
interrupts me.

"That's insulting, sir. EVERYONE has come here in good faith to  
negotiate peace. Yes, Josh did meet with Palestinian officials in  
Germany, on my orders, but the sole purpose of that meeting was to  
facilitate this one. That's all."

"I don't believe you Mr. President. It's been obvious to me from the  
beginning that Mr. Lyman has sided with the Palestinians on these  
issues. I can no longer stay here and participate in this farce. The  
Israeli delegation will be leaving first thing tomorrow morning." He  
marches out without giving us an opportunity to respond.

"That could have gone worse." Says the President grimacing.

"How exactly is that, sir?"

"They could have left immediately." He quips.

"Got any brilliant ideas for how to get him to stay?"

"As a matter of fact I do." He walks over to me and puts his arms  
around my shoulder. "I think it's time you introduce Prime Minister  
Zahavy to your lovely wife."

"I'll get right on that, sir, as soon as I take care of Colin  
Ayres.

"Fine, but take care of him quickly. He's not worth any of your time  
to begin with."

"Yes sir."


	3. Priorities chapters 11-15

Chapter 11

 

"Hey Donna, you know how you're always asking for more  
responsibilities at work?"

 

"I'm sort of on disability right now, Joshua. Get someone else  
to type up your briefs."

 

"I'm serious. This is a big step up, but I have confidence in  
your ability to achieve this goal."

 

"What goal is that exactly?"

 

"Keeping the Israeli delegation from walking out on the peace  
conference tomorrow morning."

 

"Right. I can't even walk to the Israeli delegation, and you  
think I can convince them to stay?"

 

"Absolutely. You're the one person in our delegation I think  
they will listen to. I know the Prime Minister is too much of a  
gentleman to shut the door in your face. Let's take a stroll past  
his cabin, shall we? On the way you can tell me how you ever let  
yourself get duped by Colin Ayres."

 

"What are you talking about?"

 

"Danny Boy just bagged a 1 on 1 interview in London detailing the  
bombing and his first hand account of my meeting with the  
Palestinians."

 

"Josh, please tell me you're joking."

 

"I wish I was Donnatella. Turns out your roving photojournalist has  
quite a history."

 

"No…"

 

"He's going to have a few questions to answer with our  
intelligence counterparts in the UK. In fact, he should be doing just  
that as we speak." I glance at my watch and calculate the time  
difference. "And supposing he can't be held on charges there, he  
will be asked to leave the country as a courtesy to the White House  
Chief of Staff."

 

"Josh, I had no idea."

 

"I didn't think that you did. I think it's pretty obvious he  
targeted you because you were a member of the CODEL." I see the  
crushed look on her face. "Donna, I'm sorry. I just didn't  
want you to have any further contact with him and I thought you   
deserved  
to know why."

 

"Yeah…Yeah, okay." She looks up at me. "No gomer  
comments? That's quite unlike you, Joshua."

 

"Well, your taste has improved dramatically since then."

 

"You mean just in the last couple weeks?"

 

"I prefer to think that you were in love with me all along, and  
these other guys were just a pathetic attempt to make me jealous."

 

"Did it work?"

 

"Getting jealous is a pitiable, immature reaction…I was eaten  
with it." I smile at her as I knock on the door to the Prime  
Minister's cabin. When he comes to the door I move aside so he can  
see Donna on the path.

 

"Mr. Prime Minister, I hope you'll allow me to introduce you to  
my wife Donna. She wanted to meet you." Zahavy does a double   
take as  
it registers who Donna is and what her relationship to me is. I move  
behind her wheelchair and push her forward a bit. Zahavy steps out   
of  
his cabin and walks over to Donna before taking her hand.

 

"I'm very glad to meet, Mrs. Lyman. May I say how sorry I am for  
the unfortunate incident that took the lives of your friends? It must  
have been a horrifying experience for you."

 

"Not any more horrifying than the people in Gaza experience on a  
daily basis, Mr. Prime Minister. I was able to speak to many of the  
people there and got a very good first hand look at what you're  
facing there. I asked my husband to meet you so I could thank you."

 

"Thank me for what?"

 

"For taking the risk to come here and attempting to find a solution  
to the terrible problems that are facing your people."

 

"I most desperately wish we could have achieved that goal."

 

"I haven't given up hope, Mr. Prime Minister. President Bartlet  
is a brilliant leader; he and my husband our going to find a way to  
broker peace. I know it."

 

"You are obviously a very loyal and loving wife. Mr. Lyman is lucky  
to have you."

 

"He most certainly is." She responds; I cough as a signal to lay  
off a bit but she pretends ignorance. "Please reconsider your  
decision to leave tomorrow. From what Josh has shared with me,   
you are  
very close to a solution."

 

"Unfortunately, the final point in our negotiation seems  
insurmountable."

 

"I know what you mean. When I think about what it's going to  
take to walk again, it seems completely insurmountable to me. But   
Josh  
was just reminding me that hard work and determination can make   
anything  
happen. I believe him, sir."

 

Zahavy looks from Donna to me and back again. "Perhaps you're  
right, Mrs. Lyman."

 

"Actually, it's Moss-Lyman." That's it, I can't stay  
quiet any longer.

 

"It is not!" I yell.

 

"It most certainly is, Joshua. Don't start a domestic squabble  
in front of the Prime Minister."

 

"What's the point of legally binding you to me for life if you  
don't take my name?"

 

"The point is that it's what I want." She looks smugly at  
me.

 

"That's not a point! There's no point in that statement at  
all."

 

"Mr. Lyman, if I may interject?" Zahavy asks and I nod. "I  
have been married for many years now and one thing I have learned   
is  
that if you can accept an answer like the one your wife just gave you,  
you will find the rewards greater than you can imagine."

 

"You've been HAPPILY married for years, sir?"

 

"Yes, once I learned that very important lesson."

 

"Then I guess I should take your advice, sir."

 

"And I will take yours Mrs. Moss-Lyman and stay one more day and   
see  
what we can achieve together." He takes Donna's hand again and  
tells us goodnight. I start to wheel Donna back towards our cabin.

 

"Very nice job, Donnatella."

 

"Does that mean I finally get my raise?"

 

"In a manner of speaking."

 

"What does that mean?"

"Now that we're married you get half of everything I make and my  
pay grade is way above yours." She merely smirks at me. "Donna,  
there's one other thing I need to ask you…about Ayres."

 

"Okay."

 

"At the hospital, in Germany, he gave me a disc of all the photos he  
took in Gaza; including some photos of the bombing. He wanted me   
to give  
them to you, but I didn't think you'd want them."

 

"No, I don't think I could look at them."

 

"Do you want me to destroy the disc?"

 

"I'm not ready to do that either. Can we just put them away  
somewhere for now?"

 

"Of course. And if you should decide you'd like Ayres roughed up  
a bit, we can always send that physical therapist to take care of  
him."

 

"I would think the secret service would be more efficient for that  
sort of thing."

 

"Who said I was looking for efficient? Slow and inefficient would be  
just fine with me."

 

Chapter 12

 

"How you feelin' boss?" I ask him.

 

"Like I was run over by a truck. Not really different from any other  
day this week. Plus, this physical therapist they have coming in here   
is  
a jerk."

 

"His name isn't David Gruder, is it?"

 

"No, why?" Leo asks me.

 

"No reason. Listen. Just do what they tell you so you can get better  
and get back here. This summit is driving me nuts."

 

"It was an uphill battle to begin with, son."

 

"You think this is a waste of time don't you?" There is a  
short pause and I can hear Leo release his breath.

 

"I think there has been conflict in that region for forever and the  
President needs to focus on keeping his base satisfied or it won't  
matter what you do there because his political capital will be  
lost."

 

"So, that's a yes?"

 

"A qualified yes. That being said, the President has filled me in on  
this brainstorm the two of you came up with, and it has some  
possibilities. Was it really your idea, or did Donna come up with  
it."

 

"Let's say she was the inspiration."

 

"When are you going to bring your wife over here to see me?"

 

"She's busy cussing out the First Lady of the United States  
right now, but we'll come see you soon. If we don't get anywhere  
today, it'll be game over anyway."

 

"Hang in there, son. You're doing good work over there. I'm  
proud of you."

 

"Because of the work I'm doing or because my decision to marry  
Donna in Germany won you $100 bucks in the pool?"

 

"A little of both, quite honestly. And the President wasn't  
supposed to tell you about that."

 

"Are you kidding me? He's been bragging about it to anyone  
who's standing still. Just get better and get back here soon, will  
you? I don't have your kind of patience."

 

"Josh, we talked about this already. I'm not coming back; not to  
that job anyway. You might as well move your stuff into the Chief of  
Staff's office. It's your time."

 

"Maybe, but Donna needs me right now and I promised I'd put us  
first in all this. I'm worried that if I take this job permanently I  
would have a hard time maintaining that balance."

 

"Josh. Is it hard to have a life and work in the White House? Yes,  
in almost any job and it's certainly more true for the Chief of  
Staff, but you and Donna work together there and if there's anyone  
you could count on to make sure you have balance in your life it's  
Donna. After all, she's already been doing it for years." That  
makes me laugh.

 

"I guess. Do what the doctors tell you and get some rest. We'll  
be out to see you as soon as we can." We say goodbye and hang   
up the  
phone. Talking to Leo always makes me feel better. It's like I still  
have a connection to my Dad through him.

 

The Israeli Prime Minister kept his word to Donna and even brought   
some  
additional ideas to the table this morning. Now, Chairman Farad is  
preparing his response. There's a lot of hurry up and wait in  
diplomacy. No wonder I hate it so much.

 

When I get back to our cabin, with a five inch briefing book tucked  
under my arm, I find Donna asleep on the bed. Unable to resist, I   
slide  
next to her on the bed and mold my body to hers. Her PT really   
wears her  
out; I remember the feeling. I stroke her hair and enjoy the feeling of  
just `being' with her. The President is right; we need to get  
away, just the two of us, as soon as we can manage it. My touch   
wakes  
her and she turns her head to look drowsily at me.

 

"How's Leo?" she asks and earns a kiss.

 

"He's grousing almost as much as you about physical  
therapy."

 

"Did you find a felonious therapist for him too?"

 

"You're a riot, Donnatella. How long before you figure you can  
let that one go? Man, a husband tries to take care of his wife's  
needs, and all he gets is hell for it."

 

"Maybe you should concentrate on other needs that your wife  
has." She turns her body toward me and starts kissing her way up my

throat. I moan in response to her intimate touch. Then it hits me;  
should she be doing this?

 

"Donna, wait, what about your leg and your injuries?"

 

"Don't worry." She continues to kiss me as she unbuttons my  
shirt. "I cleared it with my Doctor."

 

"Okay, good….Wait a minute, your doctor, as in Dr. Bartlet?"  
I squeak. "You discussed our sex life with Dr. Bartlet?!"

 

"How do you think she gets me motivated to do leg lifts? Besides,  
there's not much sex life to discuss at this point due to medical  
conditions and scheduling issues. I think it's time we remedied  
that, don't you?"

 

"You talked to Dr. Bartlet about this? God, why didn't you just  
talk to the President?"

 

"I thought that might be awkward for you. Josh, can you just focus  
your considerable energy on your wife right now? I promise I can   
make  
you forget all about Dr. Bartlet." she promises as she strips off my  
shirt and starts to work on my pants. I'm starting to see the  
advantages in listening to my wife.

 

# # # # # # # # #  
# # #

 

I can't believe we wasted all those years not having sex. Even with  
certain medical restrictions, making love with Donna Moss-Lyman   
was  
amazing. Yes, I know, I gave in on the hyphen, but I swear if she had  
done for you what she did for me, you'd have agreed to a hyphen or  
any other punctuation she asked for. The best part is that two hours  
have passed and I didn't even get twitchy waiting for Farad's  
response. Donna may have discovered a way to teach me patience.

 

So when my pager goes off, I'm energized and ready to get to work;  
that is once I've disentangled Donna's sleeping body from mine.  
It takes a little effort, but I get her tucked back into the blankets  
with her leg elevated on a pillow and quickly get dressed.

When I get to the main building, everyone is pouring over a   
document,  
presumably Farad's response. Toby gives me a copy by throwing it   
at  
me from his spot on the couch.

 

"What does it look like?" I ask as I start to skim the pages.

 

"If you'd come when we paged you, you'd know already."  
He complains.

 

"I had a…thing…with…Donna needed help  
with…stuff." This is especially awkward with the President and  
First Lady sitting across from us. I can NOT look at Dr. Bartlett right  
now.

 

"How's her leg, Joshua. Any difficulty with mobility?" she  
asks trying to sound all innocent; I know better. I will not let her  
draw me into her trap.

 

"I'm not a medical expert on leg mobility, Ma'am. You're  
the physician."

 

"Lots of times, the key to successful physical therapy is simply  
finding the right motivation for the patient." she tries to egg me  
on; I'm NOT biting.

 

"If you say so Dr. B." I continue reading. This looks doable.  
We're going to need international support, but we could actually do  
this.

 

"What would you say your motivation was after Rosslyn, Josh?"  
Now the President's head pops up from his reading and he looks   
over  
at his wife, catching the subtle nuance in her voice.

 

"I'd have to say my primary motivation was getting back to work,  
Ma'am."

 

"Well I believe that was a motivation Joshua, but I don't really  
think it was your primary motivation. Do you think so Jed?" Now all  
the sharks smell blood in the water. No one besides me is even  
pretending to read Farad's counter proposal.

 

"Well, Abigail, I always thought it was due to the personal  
determination of Donna Moss. She practically moved in with him,  
instituted the `rules', and made sure he did everything he was  
supposed to in order to recover."

 

"He's right." Dr. Bartlet agrees. "It's time to  
return the favor, Josh. In fact, I was just talking to Donna earlier  
about exercises the two of you could do together that-"

 

I literally spit out the coffee I am attempting to drink. "Dear God,  
will you please stop?!" I turn a face, completely red, toward the  
wife of my boss. "We're kind of in the middle of a policy thing  
right now."

 

"I'm sorry if I'm distracting you Josh. Maybe I'll just  
go check on Donna while you attend to business." She starts to rise  
and kisses her husband's cheek.

 

"That would be great." I choke out as I return my attention to  
the document in front of me. Then I remember Donna is naked in   
our bed  
sleeping at the moment. "Wait, Dr. B., ummm she was, you know,  
sleeping when I left. You must have really tired her out with PT  
today."

 

"All tired out, hmmm? Then I'll just let her rest." Her  
twinkling eyes meet mine.

 

"Yeah, rest…Mr. President, this document doesn't look much  
different to me than the one we gave him a few hours ago. Am I   
missing  
something?"

 

"I hate to say this out loud and risk the wrath of whatever from  
high atop the thing, but this looks promising." Toby looks up at me  
with what can almost be described as a smile which I return.

 

"What's next, Mr. President?" I ask him.

 

"Next, I get on the phone with our allies and see what kind of  
support we can garner internationally. I need you to conference with  
Congressional leaders and get them on board with us." he orders as  
he gets up to go make his calls.

 

"Who you going to start with?" Toby asks with his eyes closed.

 

"If I don't start with Haffley, there'll be hell to pay  
later on, but then I need to get the rest of our cabinet up to speed so  
they can start spinning it the minute we're ready to announce."  
I see the look on his face. "If, you know there happens to be  
anything noteworthy to announce."

 

"The Vice-President needs an update. He can bring in his colleagues  
in the House." Will adds.

 

"Okay, but Will?" I wait to continue until he faces me.  
"Make it absolutely clear this does not leak before we're ready.  
If he keeps a lid on this and helps us out I can make sure he's here  
for the announcement."

 

"Got it." he takes off at a trot.

 

"The intelligence committee should be brought in too." Kate  
suggests.

 

"How about you take point on that, since you speak their  
language."

 

"Consider it done." The energy in the room is contagious and  
even Kate Harper is reacting to it. "Nice work, boss. " she says  
and I do a double take as her words register with me.

 

"Thanks, Commander. I need someone from each delegation in my   
office  
in 10 minutes. Once we get final details ironed out we'll want to  
set up a meeting with the President, Chairman Farad, and Prime   
Minster  
Zahavy for later this evening." Ed and Larry take off responding to  
my requests.

 

"Jesus, Toby. Are we really doing this?" I ask shaking my head.

 

"Looks that way to me…boss." He smirks as he says it and I  
grin back. "You should really think about making the position  
permanent. You don't completely suck at it, you know." he pours  
more coffee into my cup.

 

"I don't completely suck at it? Toby, please stop. Your  
outrageous compliments are going to go to my head."

 

"I'm just saying, it's a tough job and you got it under  
difficult political and personal circumstances. You should be proud of  
what you've done and how you've done it."

 

I am literally choked up now. I don't know if I can actually speak  
right now, so I just nod and start to walk out.

 

"Of course it's probably more Donna's abilities than  
yours…" he adds as I leave the room and it brings on a full out  
laugh as I realize he's probably right.

 

Chapter 13

 

Never in my lifetime, did I imagine I would be standing next to my wife,  
watching the President sign a Middle East Peace accord. Now if you   
asked  
me which was more unlikely, having Donna as my wife, having a   
Middle  
East Peace accord, or having any wife at all, I would have been hard  
pressed to give you an answer, but the fact that they are all true has  
me a little flummoxed.

 

After the signing, there is reception that we all are expected to  
attend. Normally, Donna might work the event, but today she is a   
guest  
of the President and I've been assigned to act as her driver. She  
seems to enjoy the fact that she can order me around. In fact,   
everyone  
seems to be enjoying it. That's okay, Donna is alive and healing and  
we've just taken the first step toward peace in the Middle East.

 

At one point during the press event, I left Donna in the very capable  
hands of CJ Cregg only to find out when I returned that the two of   
them  
had agreed to an on air interview…without even discussing it with  
me!

 

"CJ what the hell?" I demanded.

 

"We've been getting dozens of requests for an interview with  
Donna. Since she is not willing or able to fulfill all those requests,  
we chose one interviewer we thought would play nice and respect the

boundaries we set up."

 

"Donna, you simply can not have thought this through."

 

"Actually I have Joshua, but thanks for your support and  
encouragement." she replies snottily.

 

"Donna, they are going to ask about Gaza, they are going to ask  
about the explosion; they are certainly going to ask you to comment   
on  
the things Colin Ayres said. Did you think about that?"

 

"As a matter of fact I did. I welcome the opportunity to comment on  
what that Irish dog said about you and about me." Donna's  
getting pissed now and CJ is getting nervous at the attention we're  
starting to receive.

 

"Do you think we could move this little domestic squabble somewhere  
more private?" she asks, looking around to see who's watching  
us.

 

"Yeah, and there'll be questions about that too. `How long  
have you been sleeping with your boss, Mrs. Lyman?' That should   
be  
fun, huh?"

 

"I'll be in the mural room at 4 tomorrow talking to Chris  
Matthews whether you like it or not. CJ, will you take me over to see  
Bonnie? I haven't had a chance to thank her yet for the flowers she  
sent me in Germany."

 

With an apologetic glance, CJ wheels my wife to the opposite end of   
the  
room. Married less than a month and it looks like I'm going to be  
sleeping on the couch.

 

# # # # # # # # #  
# # #

 

She didn't make me sleep on the couch, although I might as well   
have  
considering the cold shoulder I got when we arrived home. I could tell  
she was mad, even I am not THAT oblivious, but Donna has no idea   
what  
she's getting herself into. This is not an area she has any  
experience in and the subject of this interview is going to be   
extremely  
emotional.

 

The next morning at breakfast, I try to make her see reason one last  
time.

 

"Okay, I'm not saying you can't do it. I'm not even  
saying you shouldn't do it. All I'm saying is that MAYBE you  
shouldn't do it right now on Hard Ball."

 

"I'm not doing it right now. I'm doing it at 4 PM today in  
the mural room, surrounded, I hope, by friends, colleagues, and my  
husband." She pauses and I see how vulnerable she really is in just  
that one glance. "Will you be there, Josh?"

 

"Of course I will, Donna." I take her hands so she'll look  
at me. "I just worry about you. This is heavy stuff for me and I  
wasn't even in that vehicle. Will you promise me one thing?"

 

"Maybe…"

 

"Work out some signal with CJ to get you out of there early if you  
start to feel…I don't know…too much. Will you at least do  
that for me?" she nods and I feel a little better, but not much.

 

# # # # # # # # #  
# # #

 

Donna is having her mic placed for a last minute sound check and   
Chris  
Matthews is making small talk with her until they're ready to go. CJ  
is hovering within a couple feet of Donna per my instructions. I see   
the  
nerves in Donna's eyes and I lean down to whisper in her ear.

 

"You'll be fine. Chris is a decent guy and CJ and I are both  
here if you need us. Remember, you don't have to answer anything   
you  
don't want to."

 

"I love you, Josh Lyman. Thanks for being here. Margaret told me   
you  
cancelled your meeting with the FED chair to be here."

 

"I promised you that we would come first. I love you too, Mrs.  
Lyman."

 

"Moss-Lyman." She cracks back at me like I knew she would. I  
shake hands with Chris Matthews with a warning glare in my eyes   
that  
says `Mess with my wife, and I will SO mess with you.' Normally,  
my glare might not be enough to guarantee compliance, but the 2   
secret  
service agents flanking me make me feel confident my message will   
be  
taken seriously.

 

"Good evening, and welcome to Hard Ball. I'm Chris Matthews.  
Today, we are very fortunate to have the opportunity to speak with   
Donna  
Moss-Lyman who is the sole survivor of the horrific bombing in Gaza   
that  
took the lives of two Congressmen, their aides, and Admiral Percy  
Fitzwallace. Thanks for coming on to talk to me, Donna." She nods  
her head in acknowledgment but says nothing. CJ told me she and   
Toby  
prepped her for over 2 hours today.

 

"Donna, first tell us how you came to be part of the CODEL, or  
Congressional Delegation, to Gaza. You were the senior aid to then  
Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman at that time. Was going on   
CODEL's  
part of your job description?"

 

"Not normally, no. But in this instance I was asked to go to report  
back on what I saw and heard first hand in Gaza. President Bartlet   
and  
his staff were determined to do all they could to help the victims on  
both sides of the conflict."

 

"And what can you tell us about what you learned while you were  
there?" he asks her.

 

"The people who live and work in Gaza are in constant fear of  
violence. What surprised me most, was despite that state of  
hyper-vigilance, most people there were just trying to go about their  
daily lives; just like you and me."

 

Then an astonishing thing happens. On the monitor, flashes   
pictures of  
Donna in Gaza. Ayre's pictures. God, Donna, what have you done?   
The  
pictures continue to scroll and I feel sick because I know what is  
coming up. When Donna asked me to hold on to Colin's disc I had   
done  
just that; I put it in my office for safe keeping, but not before I  
looked at them.

 

"You were there for 6 days before the bombing occurred. What were  
your impressions of the people the CODEL was sent to talk to?"

 

"These people are desperate to find a peaceful solution to the  
conflict there, but they are deeply entrenched in the offenses from   
the  
past."

 

Now the monitor freezes on an image of Donna smiling at the   
camera with  
her hand on the open door of the SUV the delegation had been   
traveling  
in.

"What can you tell us about the bombing itself? What do you  
remember?"

 

"Not a lot, Chris, which is probably a blessing. I remember talking  
to Admiral Fitzwallace right before there was a loud noise and I could  
feel us being thrown up into the air. That's the last thing I  
remember before waking up in a German Hospital in Landstuhl."

 

I purposefully look away from Donna and the monitors as the   
pictures of  
the bombs aftermath take over the entire screen.

 

"Can you tell us about the extent of your injuries?"

 

"Without using medical lingo, my leg was severely damaged, I had a  
concussion from the force of the blast, and many cuts and bruises.   
After  
I was in the hospital, I developed a pulmonary embolism that required  
emergency surgery. It was very scary."

 

"How are you doing today? I understand you've had an excellent  
personal physician."

 

"Yes, while I was at Camp David, Dr. Bartlet took very good care of  
me; not that I always appreciated her dedication. Now that I'm home  
I have a very good doctor as well as a physical therapist that the   
First  
Lady found for me." At this comment, she sends a wry look my way. I  
just shake my head.

 

"How long is your recovery expected to take?"

 

"No one can say for sure; months at the very least, although no one  
can guarantee that I will recover completely to where I was before   
Gaza.  
A lot depends on the determination of the patient and I can tell you I  
am very determined.

 

"Where do you think that determination comes from?"

 

"My family and friends have played a major role, but my primary  
motivation comes from a bet I have with my husband."

 

"A bet? That sounds very interesting; care to share with the  
class?"

 

"I'm afraid that might taint the bet. Maybe after I win."

 

"Speaking of your husband," oh boy, here it comes. "Josh  
Lyman was recently promoted to his current position as White House   
Chief  
of Staff when his boss and some say mentor, Leo McGarry, suffered   
a  
massive heart attack. How is he adjusting to his new position in the  
heat of all that's been happening in the Middle East?" Donna  
throws a look at me and smirks.

 

"Josh has never had a deficiency in the confidence department as   
you  
well know, Chris, but I know he took this position under the worst  
circumstances. Leo McGarry has been a boss, a mentor, and a   
father to  
Josh for many years. Stepping into Leo's shoes was very difficult  
for him. That being said, I think he's performed very well in the  
role he was thrust into and I'm very proud of the work he's  
done."

 

"That work is something that you've done together for many years  
as his senior assistant. Will you continue to work as his assistant now  
that he's Chief of Staff and now that you're married?"

 

"Josh has only agreed to serve as interim Chief of Staff so I  
don't know what he'll be doing 2 months from now, let alone what  
I will be doing once I've recovered enough to go back to work full  
time. At present, I'm helping with research and briefing books from  
my laptop at home."

 

"And working with your husband? Will that be a problem for you?  
There's been a lot of speculation about your relationship with your  
boss for a long time. What do you say to the people who say that   
dating  
in the workplace, particularly the White House, is inappropriate?"

 

"I would say that life in the White House is a pressure cooker, and  
if can people can date without it affecting their jobs, good luck to  
them. However, that doesn't really apply to Josh and I since we  
never dated."

 

"You never dated, yet you felt strongly enough about your  
relationship to marry him on a few hours notice in Germany?"

 

"We've worked together for years; 16-20 hour days discussing  
every issue under the sun. We traveled all over the country for the  
campaign, we watched one another make mistakes with personal  
relationships, and at some level we both felt there was something   
much  
stronger between us than friendship. We also felt we could never do  
anything about it as long as we were working for the President. We   
both  
respect and admire the President very much and we would never do  
anything to bring scandal to his administration." The sincerity and  
simplicity of her answer cuts off the 12 follow up questions I'm  
sure Matthews has written on his cards and he simply smiles at her.

 

"I'm curious about your opinion of the peace accord the  
President signed yesterday."

 

"I don't create foreign policy, Chris. However, I am extremely  
proud to have been even a very small part of this process. President  
Bartlet pursued his plan for peace in the face of some very strong  
opposition here at home. Now that he's been successful there's  
been a large contingent attempting to jump on his band wagon."

 

"One voice of opposition has come from a photojournalist who   
claims,  
among other things, to have a personal relationship with you and  
personal knowledge of secret meetings your husband had with the  
Palestinians in Germany. In fact, I believe the pictures of Gaza you  
supplied us with are the work product of Colin Ayres. Is that  
correct?"

 

"Which part?...Yes, I know Colin Ayres, and yes those photographs  
are his. As to a personal relationship…since you yourself noted that  
I was only in Gaza 6 days before the bombing, and I never met Mr.   
Ayres  
before that, I'll leave it to you to judge how much of a personal  
relationship could develop in that time."

 

"What about his knowledge of your husband's meetings in  
Germany?"

 

"Mr. Ayres came to see me in Germany while I was recovering, that is  
when he passed on those photographs. Josh had meetings and   
conference  
calls the entire time he was in Germany. The White House was   
dealing  
with a crisis and Josh is an important part of the President's  
response team. However, what those meetings entailed and who   
they were  
with, that is simply speculation on Mr. Ayres part. Josh does not   
share  
much of that type of information with me due to security issues; he  
certainly wouldn't have shared any of it with a man he had just  
met."

 

"So Colin Ayres allegations are false?"

 

"Mr. Ayres told me he wanted me to see parts of Gaza that aren't  
usually part of the official tour. He is very knowledgeable about the  
conflict there and I appreciated the time he took to make sure I had   
an  
accurate picture that I could take back to Josh and the President."  
She paused and looked up at Chris, meeting his eyes squarely. "It  
turns out that he had other motives for his helpfulness; some involve  
money and some involve political ideology, but it's no accident that  
he's been booked on every show from here to Anchorage planting   
doubt  
about the feasibility of the peace plan. It's also not coincidental that  
he's been questioned by the intelligence agency in London. I now   
regret  
having anything to with him for more than 1 reason." There is dead  
silence for about 30 seconds as the camera pans back and forth   
between  
Donna and Chris.

 

"There was a great deal of debate while you were recovering in  
Germany about whether or not the President acted quickly enough to

retaliate for the bombing that took American lives. As a victim of that  
terrorist act, would you have wanted the President to act more  
quickly?"

 

"I think that it's natural for victims and their friends/family  
members to want to exact revenge for the horrible crimes committed  
against them, but that's not the job of the President. The President  
has to think in national and even global terms. He took the time he  
needed to make a calm reasoned decision and I believe he was   
absolutely  
right to do so."

 

"Does your husband agree with that call as well?"

 

"I wasn't conscious at the time, but I have it on good authority  
from Leo McGarry that is initial reaction might have been a little more  
emotional than calm and reasoned. I like to think that had more to do  
with me than the issues in Gaza."

 

"Any chance you could get your husband to stop lurking in the  
shadows back there, throwing daggers at me with his eyes, and join   
us  
for a question or two?"

 

"I'm afraid not. You'd have to negotiate that with him  
directly. We've agreed not to make any kind of commitments for one  
another."

 

"Is that the key to a successful marriage in D.C.?"

 

"I don't know if there's one key and we've been married  
a very short time, but you can ask me again in a few years."

 

"I'll look forward to it. Thank you Donna Moss-Lyman for talking  
to us today."

 

"You're welcome Chris." The technical director calls  
`cut' and I'm by Donna's side in a heartbeat. I kiss her  
and then shake her.

 

"The pictures Donna? Why did you have to use the pictures and   
more  
importantly, why didn't you tell me you planned to use the  
pictures?"

 

"You would have said no."

 

"Damn right I would have said no."

 

"Then we would have had a huge fight which would have only upset   
me  
before the interview where I would have used the pictures anyway.   
This  
way, we could avoid the whole fight."

 

"Have you been talking to my Mother?" Chris laughs out loud. I  
forgot he was standing there.

 

"You, sir, should know better than to try to bait me through  
Donna." He holds both his hands up in surrender.

 

"I had to give it a try. I would love to have a sit down with the  
White House Chief of Staff."

 

"Interim Chief of Staff and I'm not the story. I wish Donna  
wasn't part of the story, but I can't seem to do anything about  
that." I throw another dirty look her way. "I can't seem to  
do anything at all where she is concerned."

 

"Well that's just not true." She teases me sending me a  
flirtatious look from under her lashes as another member of the crew  
takes off her mic. Chris laughs again.

 

"Well, Mr. Interim Chief of Staff, you may be the second most  
powerful man in Government, but I have no doubt who has the most   
power  
in this relationship. If you change your mind about that sit down, give  
me a call. Donna, it was a pleasure talking to you. Take care and get  
well soon. Josh, congratulations on your marriage…she's perfect  
for you." He chuckles as he walks out and I can't help the  
feeling that I've just been insulted.

 

"Come on Mrs. Moss-Lyman. It's time for you to go home and get  
your PT."

 

"So it's payback time now, huh?"

 

"Absolutely." I wheel her out of the mural room to take her  
home, but my heart feels heavy after looking at those pictures and  
remembering I'm the one who sent her there.

Chapter 14

 

It's 3 AM when the nightmare hits. I wake up shaking and sweating.  
Donna is stroking my arm, talking quietly to me. When I manage to   
open  
my eyes and look at her I see tears falling from her eyes and that  
brings tears to mine.

 

"Donna, don't cry. I'm okay." I pull her into my arms  
and we hold each other.

 

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She sobs into my chest.

 

"What the hell are you sorry for?"

 

"It was the pictures. The pictures set everything off. I should  
never have done it. I'm sorry. I should have at least warned you.  
I'm so sorry, Josh."

 

"Hey, hold on. Calm down. Yes, I wish you would have told me about  
the pictures, but the nightmare…that's not your fault." I  
give an ironic laugh.

 

"What are you laughing about?" she accuses.

 

"Chris may be right; you are perfect for me. Or we are perfect for  
each other. I've been over here sick to my stomach thinking it was  
all my fault that you were even in Gaza in the first place; exposed to  
the violence, exposed to Ayres. Meanwhile you're here thinking how  
my PTSD is set off because of something you did. Donna, you are   
not  
responsible for my PTSD, and maybe, just maybe, I'm not entirely at  
fault for what happened to you in Gaza." Her breathing has slowed  
down and the tears have stopped.

 

"I'm still sorry, Joshua." She kisses me as she says it.

 

"Well maybe now you'll see the advisability of consulting me  
before you make decisions of any kind." She knocks me onto my   
back  
in a mock attack. "What the hell was that for?"

 

"I wanted to be sure you knew you weren't still dreaming.  
Consult with you; right!" She kisses me again. "I never blamed  
you for what happened in Gaza. Never. I'm sorry you did."

 

"You would never have been there if I hadn't sent you."

 

"And you wouldn't have been at the Newseum if the President  
hadn't asked you to go. Do you blame him for what happened  
afterwards?"

 

"No, of course not, but it's not the same thing."

 

"It's exactly the same thing…I promise not to blindside you  
like that again."

 

"Okay. We're okay now?"

 

"We're okay…" She pulls my head down to her shoulder and  
massages my temples until I fall back to sleep.

 

# # # # # # # # #  
# # #

 

It's 6:30 PM and I am packing my backpack to bring some work home  
with me. I know it's early, but I cleared it with the President; or  
rather Donna cleared it with Debbie who cleared it with the   
President. I  
hate it when she circumvents me like that. Anyway, she said she's  
starting with a new therapist today and she wants me there when she  
does. Since she didn't give me any shit about whether or not this  
one is a felon, I decided to just go along.

 

My driver, yes this job has some nice perks, makes it home in record  
time and I am through the door at 6:48 according to my crappy   
watch;  
which means 7:00 to everyone else. Right on time! So then why is   
Donna  
on the couch crying?

 

"Donna? What's wrong?"

 

"Well, you know when I said I wouldn't blindside you again? I  
may have been overstating it a bit." She sniffles.

 

"How you doing, Josh?" comes a familiar voice from behind me. I  
slowly turn to see Dr. Stanley Keyworth standing in my living room.

 

"Stanley…" I shake his hand but keep my eyes on Donna.  
"How's it going here?"

 

"Pretty good. I was glad to hear about you and Donna. She's been  
catching me up." I continue to watch my wife.

 

"Is that so? Did you tell her I called you myself not two days  
ago?" I ask still keeping eye contact with Donna and have the  
satisfaction of watching them go wide with surprise.

 

"Now that would be a breach of patient/doctor confidentiality. I did  
think it was interesting that neither of you thought you needed help  
yourself, but both of you were convinced that the other one needed   
help.  
God, did that even make sense?"

 

"I think we get your gist." Donna drawled and finally broke eye  
contact with me.

 

"You have both been through a rather traumatic turn of events in the  
past few weeks; some very positive, some very negative, but all of   
them  
life changing. I thought, if you're both agreeable it might be most  
beneficial for the 3 of us to talk together."

 

I nod as I sit down and take Donna's hand in mine. "Where do we  
start, Stanley?"

 

"We already have Josh."

 

# # # # # # # # #  
# # #

 

It's not fun, and it's not easy, but bit by bit we start to wade  
through our recent experiences and my chest starts to feel a little  
lighter. Having gone through this process before I know it's not a  
one night gig, but I feel like we've made a start.

 

"You have each other, and that's no small advantage."  
Stanley said as he left. "Don't forget you're partners  
now…I'll talk to you soon."

 

"Josh, what are you thinking?" she asked me once he left.

 

"I'm thinking we should order some pizza, drink some wine, and  
have a celebration." I take her hands and draw her up until  
she's standing next to me.

 

"Celebrate what, exactly?"

 

"That we have each other. That for the first time in years we can do  
this." And I kiss her until her knees buckle, which may not take  
much in her current medical condition, but still. I pick her up in my  
arms and sit down on the couch with her on top of me.

 

"I love you, Donnatella. I love you so much." My hands wander  
across her back losing themselves in her soft, long hair. Her mouth  
makes a path down my throat as she moans her pleasure at my   
touch and I  
don't think I have ever been so aroused in my life. This woman, this  
moment, is where my heart has needed to be for so long. But in the   
past  
work has always come first. My priorities have always been about  
politics and about the President. Not anymore.

 

I'm not sure when the exact moment was that they changed; maybe   
when  
the bomb went off in Gaza, maybe when she admitted lying to   
Congress to  
protect me, maybe when she first opened her eyes and said my   
name in  
Germany. All I know is that now things are different and I can't  
keep pretending they're not.

 

We make love right there on the couch, never even making the   
effort to  
move to a bed. We don't remember to order pizza until nearly  
midnight. We eat it, mostly naked, on the living room floor and finish  
an entire bottle of wine despite the fact that tomorrow I have staff at  
7 AM. We talk and we tease one another well into the night and   
make love  
again just a couple hours before my alarm goes off.

 

# # # # # # # # #  
# # #

When I get into the office I am tired, but relaxed and more certain  
about what I need to do than I ever have been before. I ask Debbie   
to  
schedule 15 minutes with the President privately after staff. She   
gives  
me a weird look, but does as I ask without comment.

 

Staff goes smoothly. For the most part we're managing the day to   
day  
necessities of putting the peace plan into action while running herd   
on  
a couple bills the President wants to move through Congress   
quickly. CJ  
updates me on what's coming up in the press room; she says with a  
grin that the feedback from Donna's sit down has been very positive,  
but that's mostly because the press likes her more than me.  
She's probably right.

 

Toby and Will are at it again, but this is nothing new to anyone who   
has  
to work with Toby…just ask Sam. I should really call Sam. I  
haven't spoken to him since we got back from Germany. I couldn't  
let him hear about our marriage in the news.

 

I have Leo join us by conference call this morning and he   
admonishes me  
about appointing a deputy, before moving on to his ideas about   
where we  
should focus our energies in the coming months. Everyone seems to   
have  
an idea to contribute and it hits me that this is what I'll miss  
most. This collaboration with the best and the brightest to change the

way the world works.

 

I send the team on their various assignments and head into the oval.

 

"What can I do for you Josh?" he asks without looking up from  
the papers he's signing.

 

"Mr. President, I would never have imagined any circumstances   
under  
which I would be standing here saying this to you." At this, he  
looks up at me and takes off his glasses.

 

"I'm going to need a new Chief of Staff, aren't I Josh?"

 

"I'm afraid so. It has been an honor to serve you sir."

 

"I appreciate how well you've stepped up to the plate with Leo  
gone. You've been a tremendous asset as Chief of Staff, as well as  
serving me as Deputy. How long will you give me?"

 

"I serve at the pleasure of the President, sir."

 

"Then how does a year and a half work for you?" he jests.

 

"That's a little longer than I anticipated, sir."

 

"You don't think Donna will go for that?"

 

"I haven't brought this up with Donna yet, sir. Other than  
telling her I wasn't going to accept this post permanently."

 

"Oh, Joshua. You may have a brilliant political mind, but you're  
going to need to work on the communication in marriage a little more.  
Abby will be glad to give you a few pointers if you like."

 

"That's very generous, I'm sure, sir, but I think I'll  
pass."

 

"I bet you will." He grins at me. "Work up a list of  
possible candidates for your position for my consideration. In fact,  
work up two lists for both jobs you've quit on me."

 

"Sir, I-" but he interrupts me before I can finish the sentence.

 

"Just giving you a hard time, Josh, but get those lists to me today  
if possible. And if you can see your way clear to stay on for two more  
months, it would help me win my money back from Leo."

 

"It seems that's the least I can do, Mr. President."

 

"Thanks, Josh."

 

"Thank you Mr. President."

Chapter 15

 

I know what you're thinking. When I tell Donna I quit my job today  
without talking to her about it, I'm a dead man. Maybe with a lesser  
mortal that would be true, but I, Joshua Lyman, political mastermind,  
have a plan. Sort of…

 

"Donna?!" I shout as I walk into our place. "Donna!!"

 

"Don't shout." She tells me in her normal condescending tone  
of voice. I follow the sound into the kitchen where she is making   
dinner  
at 9:00 at night. What a woman! I reach over her shoulder to kiss her  
cheek while dipping my finger into the alfredo sauce she's making  
and she smacks my hand. She's sitting on the stool as she stirs,  
which tells me her body is tired from PT, but still, she didn't have  
to hit me.

 

"This is a nice surprise. I thought I'd have to order Chinese  
tonight."

 

"I was in the mood to cook something and since Margaret was kind  
enough to give me a heads up about when you'd be home, I knew   
just  
when to put the pasta in."

 

"Sorry about that, Donna. I got hung up on a phone call with  
Davidson."

 

"About filling your position?" WHAT? Wait, maybe she means  
deputy COS.

 

"What?"

 

"He'd make a decent COS. I understand why you'd have him on  
your short list, but I really think you should consider CJ for the  
job."

 

"Excuse me?"

 

"She knows the job, same as Davidson, but more importantly, she   
know  
the President and he knows her. He doesn't adjust well to new  
people."

 

"Maybe so, but Davidson has more pull in Congress than- Wait.   
Where  
did you hear about this?"

 

"Not from my husband, but that's fitting since you didn't  
tell me when you took the job either." Ouch. So much for the plan A;  
now it's plan B, punt.

 

"Hell Donna, I only talked to the President this morning. Nothing is  
official yet."

 

"Well that's okay then. When it's official, just have CJ  
issue a press release, okay? That way I can keep up with your life on  
CSPAN."

 

"Donna, I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd have a problem  
with me leaving the White House."

 

"I don't have a problem with you leaving the White House,  
Joshua, I have a problem with you not discussing major life changes   
with  
me."

 

I turn her around on the stool so we're facing each other.

 

"I'm sorry, Donna, I blew it. I'm just not used to running  
my decisions by anyone else."

 

"What are you talking about? You used to run decisions by me all the

time."

 

"That was at work and about work. This is different. After last  
night, after Stanley left, I couldn't imagine giving up any more of  
our time for this job. I've given enough, we've both given  
enough. I want us to have some time alone together. Then we can   
decide,  
together, where we want to go from here."

 

"So I'm supposed to quit too?" her eyebrow quirks up.

 

"I would never make that kind of decision without talking about it  
with you first." I respond obediently. Her lips twitch.

 

"Good man…you really quit?"

 

"I gave two months notice. That way, when I win our bet, I'll be  
free to go anywhere you want to take me."

 

"Like hell. It'll be you taking me."

 

"Does it really matter?"

 

"Not as long as we go together, I guess. Are you sure this is what  
you want to do? You don't know how to work outside of politics."

 

"Who says I'll be outside of politics. I have standing offers to  
lecture at half a dozen universities and I'm sure there's a  
candidate or two who could use my wisdom in their campaign. The   
problem  
is going to be you."

 

"Me?!"

 

"I'm going to have to convince whoever hires me that we come as  
a package deal."

 

"That's going to be difficult, is it?"

 

"Maybe not, I am in awfully high demand…Do you really think CJ  
for COS."

 

"I really do, and so do you."

 

"How do you know what I'm thinking?"

 

"Please, Joshua, it's not that hard."

 

"That's kind of scary."

 

# # # # # # # # #  
# # #

 

In the following two weeks, Donna started coming back to work part   
time  
as advisor to the Chief of Staff. She's going to report, for the  
time being, to a supervisor in Human Resources just to keep it all   
clean  
and aboveboard. She still does a great deal of work from home, but  
it's working for everyone, so what's the big deal right? The big  
deal is that I miss her. I'm used to having her with me all day  
everyday; being apart for 6-8 hours sucks.

 

CJ has been filling in as Deputy Chief of Staff as she prepares to   
make  
the jump to Chief of Staff in 6 more weeks. Yes, Donna was right   
about  
that. The President flipped over the idea. CJ seemed a little spooked   
at  
first, but she's getting into the swing. The one who is really  
suffering is Toby.

 

Toby has taken over press briefings and he makes my `secret plan   
to  
fight inflation' act look professional. I mean he totally tanked!  
All he had to do was announce CJ was moving to Deputy COS and I   
thought  
they were going to light the podium on fire. I had Margaret put in on  
DVD so Donna and I could watch it at our leisure.

 

Donna is getting her strength back day by day, but not without a lot   
of  
hard work. We've been doing some exercises together…not that  
kind, get your mind out of the gutter. Well, okay, yes, that kind too,  
but I'm talking about actual PT exercises. It helps having a partner  
to work with; in more ways than one.

 

# # # # # # # # #  
# # #

 

 

Two weeks left to go as Chief of Staff and as I get more relaxed,   
Donna  
seems to be getting more and more on edge. We discussed, in   
detail,  
Bantam's offer to write a book about the original Bartlet campaign.  
At first, I wasn't too excited about the offer, but as we discussed  
the pros and cons, I found myself getting more and more pumped up   
about  
it. Donna even started writing out index cards on possible chapter  
titles. That's when I got hooked. We could take our time and do this  
together. It would be great.

 

I ran it by the President, and he was enthusiastic about it. Started  
reminding me of various stories and I told him he'd have to get  
together with my partner to organize his thoughts. He just smiled.   
When  
I got back to my office, Donna was there pacing back and forth on   
her  
crutches.

 

"This is a nice surprise. I though you had PT this afternoon."

 

"I did. I had to cancel it."

 

"You can't get complacent about PT Donna. You can lose all the  
ground you've gained faster than you can imagine."

 

"Yeah, I know. Can we take a walk for minute?"

 

"Donna, that's hard with your crutches, can't we just-?"

 

"Not here, can we just walk for a minute? Get out of the  
building?"

 

"Sure, let me just tell Margaret-"

 

"Margaret, he's going out for ten. He has his pager." Donna  
shouts as she starts out the door. Margaret just nods as if this is the  
usual protocol around here.

 

"You're starting to scare me, baby. What's wrong?"

 

"Not in this building." She repeats and continues walking in  
silence until we get past the iron gate of the White House. Then she  
takes a seat on a bench. I stand next to her until she's ready to  
talk.

 

"Donna?"

 

"I'm sure how to say this, okay? Just give me a minute." I  
blink twice and sit down next to her.

 

"Whatever it is, just say it. You don't have to spin it for  
me."

 

"I think I might. I mean, we just never had this discussion and we  
need to, or at least we needed to before. Now not so much."

 

"Donnnaaa for the love of God…"

 

"I'm pregnant."

 

You're…you're pregnant? We're going to have a baby?"

 

"Yes, and well, yes. If that what you want, I mean."

 

"What I want? Are you kidding me? Of Course it's what I- Donna,  
did you think I wouldn't want this baby?"

 

"I didn't know! We never discussed it and you've been making  
all these plans for us being footloose and fancy free and we can't  
be that with a baby along for the ride."

 

"Donna, I swear, this is the most amazing thing anyone's ever- I  
don't even know what to say." So I pull her into a hug before  
kissing her soundly on the mouth. "How far along are you?"

 

"Six weeks." She says with certainty and I know immediately why.  
Six weeks ago, the night we met with Stanley; the night I decided to  
leave the White House and put my family first. It was more prophetic  
than I thought.

 

"Damn, Donna, we're going to be parents…Do you think I'm  
ready for this?" she laughs at me.

 

"Joshua Lyman. You can take on Congressional Republicans, Middle  
East peace, and the President of the United States, but you're  
afraid of a little bitty baby?" she chides me.

 

"But this is our baby, Donna. This child is bound to have  
extraordinary cognitive and verbal abilities. Besides, I have no idea  
how to take care of a baby."

 

"I'll make you note cards." She promises and I kiss her  
again.

 

"Hey, get a room." Calls a familiar voice, and I turn around to  
see the cocky grin of Congressman Matt Skinner. "Damn Democrats  
can't keep private things private." He adds as he slaps me on  
the back.

 

"Donna I couldn't believe it when I heard the news. I always  
thought you were smarter that to hook up with this guy on a   
permanent  
basis." Donna laughs and leans in for a hug.

 

"Keep it down, will you Skinner. I don't want my kid hearing  
Republican voices any more than she has to." Wait for it….

 

"You're kid…Holy shit, you're having a baby?" His  
eyes travel down to Donna's stomach that is deceptively flat.  
"When?"

 

"In about 7 months." Donna answers. "But keep it to  
yourself, will you Matt? We haven't even told our parents yet. I  
just told Josh this minute." She smiles at him and I swear he'd  
vote for a Democratic bill right now if Donna asked him to.

 

"For you, Donna, I will do just that." See, I told you; hook,  
line, and sinker. If that man weren't gay…

 

"Thanks, Matt. I have to get this one back to the office before  
Margaret starts suffering withdrawal. See you later."

 

"Bye, Donna." He kisses her cheek before leaning towards me.  
"Bye, Daddy." His teasing words stun me for a second then I wave  
back and follow Donna to the White House. A thought hits me and I   
stop  
dead in my tracks.

 

"Oh shit!" Donna turns back to me alarmed.

 

"What's wrong?"

 

"I just told a Republican Congressman we are going to have a baby  
before I told my Mother. She's going to kill me in my sleep."

 

"There's really no reason for her to know that, provided you  
keep me very, very, happy." How can she do that sexy saunter thing  
on crutches? And should she really be doing anything sexy anymore;  
she's going to be a mom. I ponder these deep thoughts as I flip my  
cell phone open to call my Mom.

 

"Hey Mom, guess what?" and the woman guesses. Can you believe  
that? When I confirm her guess she screams so loud I go deaf in   
that ear  
and have to switch the phone over to my other ear.

 

"I take it that means you're happy about this turn of  
events?" I tease.

 

"I don't want to talk to you anymore. Put that darling wife of  
your on the phone." I hand the phone to Donna, but then we have to  
stop moving since she can't handle the crutches and the phone at   
the  
same time.

 

"Hi, Mom…I'm feeling fine, just a little tired…six  
weeks…No, you're the first one I've told besides  
Josh…(she turns a cocky grin in my direction so I can acknowledge  
the barb)…my folks are next…well give me ten minutes, then you  
can call and make all the plans you want together…I'm sure we  
can manage a trip in your direction after we leave the White  
House…Thanks, Mom…I love you too." She ends the call and  
hands it back to me.

 

"Hurry up, Joshua, now I have to get back and call my parents before  
she does."


	4. Priorities chapters 16-20

Chapter 16

Victory is mine, sweet victory is mine. I have won the bet, and now  
Donna must pay up. Though technically we now share a bank account,   
the  
point is that she has to write a check to me for the amount of the  
tickets for our belated honeymoon, and I get to choose where we go. I   
am  
going to make her write `to my infallible husband' on the note line  
at the bottom, then I will have it framed and hung in my office. I  
offered to go double or nothing on the sex of our child, but she claims  
that is vile.

 

Yes, Donna is now walking without crutches or a cane. She tried to fake  
needing it another week but when I told her the President was at the  
door, you should have seen how fast she moved unaided. She tried to  
claim that was an unfair trick, but desperate times/desperate measures,  
plus I have some ethical issues with her pretending to need the walking  
assistance for another week just to win the bet. Anyway, having spent  
the last two weeks bored out of my mind, I am ready to take our fun  
filled trip to California. Donna has not been as enthusiastic as I would  
have liked, but once she sees Napa Valley and the 8 mile drive, she will  
get over it I'm sure.

"Donna...are you done packing yet?"

"Do you mean, am I done packing for you?"

"If you want to be technical, you're really packing for the family."

"Which consists of you and I. I have already packed my things, so that  
leaves your things."

"Don't forget the baby. You need to pack for the baby."

"What exactly do you imagine the baby needs?"

"Stuff for her Dad. If her Dad is out wondering around California in the  
same clothes day after day, she'll be embarrassed." I reach around  
Donna's waist from behind her as she finishes zipping her suitcase.

"Your SON is going to be embarrassed by you his entire life, so he might  
as well get used to it now." I chuckle and kiss her cheek as I stroke  
her stomach.

"Maybe someday we will have a son who will be terribly embarrassed by  
everything I say and do, but THIS baby is a girl."

"So you keep saying Dr. Lyman." she shrugs me off and starts to pull the  
suitcase off the bed.

 

"No, I'll do that. You go sit until the cab comes." She goes without an  
argument which only confirms my suspicion that she's still pissed about  
California. It wasn't exactly where she wanted to go, but do I have to  
remind everyone who won the bet? Then she wanted to meet up with   
Sam,  
but I convinced her that this was our time and that we could always meet  
up with Sam later. We are now gainfully unemployed and can go   
wherever  
we want whenever we want. Again, not happy, but...

Some of her good humor has returned during the flight. I know this  
because she starts spouting trivia about the great state of California  
from a book she has brought along in her bag. It makes me smile as I lay  
my head on her shoulder and she reads to me about the Petrified   
Forest.  
We've done a lot of work with Stanley over the past few months, and I am  
feeling more relaxed and confident about life than I have in years,  
maybe ever.

Donna has expressed concern on several occasions that I am going to  
regret leaving the White House. She can now point to the recent two  
weeks of boredom as evidence of her concern, but as I pointed out to  
her, we haven't started on the book yet. I've just been cleansing  
the palette. The only thing that keeps her from begging the President to  
reconsider accepting my resignation has been Stanley's steadfast   
support  
of my decision. He seems to agree with me that we both need a break   
from  
the frantic pace and emotional stress that we've had to endure for the  
last several years. He's reassured her that if and when we want to  
return to politics, those doors will be open for us.

We land in California around 1 PM, having gained several hours on our  
trip west and I feel excited and refreshed since my nap on the plane. We  
get down to baggage to find a familiar face holding a Mr. and Mrs. Lyman

sign and huge grin on his face. Donna breaks away from me and runs   
into  
his arms.

"Sam! Oh my God, what a great surprise!" I watch my best friend   
envelope  
my wife, and daughter, in a hug for a minute or so.

"That's enough. That's enough; break it up you two." I pull them apart  
and give Sam a hug myself.

"Hey, man, thanks for meeting us." I tell him as I take Donna's hand  
again.

"No problem, DAD." Yeah, we had to tell Sam right away. Okay, I had to  
tell Sam right away. "No pressure or anything, but Sam would be a great  
name for a boy or a girl."

"We'll keep that in mind." Donna assures him. "I'm so glad to see you."

"Me too. When Josh called and asked if you guys could stay with me, I  
was thrilled. Let's get your stuff and bring it to my place." Sam heads  
to the luggage carousel ahead of us and Donna turns her head to me,   
her  
eyebrows raised.

"Surprise?..." I smile.

"Not that I'm unhappy to see Sam, or even to spend time with Sam, but  
staying with Sam? This is supposed to be our honeymoon, Joshua."

"When I told him we were coming out here, it just sort of evolved. Come  
on, it will be fine."

We spend the afternoon on Sam's boat and it is glorious. No one falls  
overboard, and the combination of the sun and the movement of the   
water  
put Donna to sleep. It's the only real change I've seen in her since we  
found out she was pregnant. She sleeps...a lot... No morning sickness,  
thank God, but lots of naps.

"You want a turn as Captain?" Sam asks me.

"I think we're all better off in your hands at the moment." I respond.  
Sam is still staring at me with a goofy grin on his face. "What?"

"You're going to be a Dad!" He's practically beaming now, like he had  
something to do with it.

"You don't have to remind me. I'm scared to death about it, half the  
time."

"You don't look scared; you look...relaxed." he decides with a nod of  
his head. "Seriously, Josh, I don't think I've ever seen you look  
happier. Any pangs of regret leaving the White House?"

"No. I thought I would, but I don't; at least not yet. I just have this  
feeling that I'm right where I'm supposed to be.

"How are things going at the firm?" I ask him. "You never  
really say much about it."

 

"I like it here. I've convinced them to work a lot more pro bono  
cases which in turn has garnered a lot more publicity, which brings us a  
lot more work, so the partners love me."

 

"Ahhh, capitalism at work. Your Mother must be so proud."

 

"Ahhh, the condescension. How I've missed it so."

 

"You should get up off the mat and run again, Sam. The 47th was an  
aberration, but the party will not forget how you took one in the teeth  
for them. You could name your seat."

 

"Hey, of the two of us, you're the only one unemployed. Maybe  
you should run for something instead of pushing some well intentioned  
sucker into it."

 

"Nah, I'm not the guy, I'm the guy the guy counts on."

 

"Excuse me?" he's laughing at me now.

 

"Just something the President said to me once. You're the guy.  
You've got to get back in the game." He looks back at me with a  
skeptical glance.

 

"Hey, Donna. Tell your husband I'm perfectly happy in my current  
profession." He tells Donna who has awakened and joined us at the  
helm.

 

"Husband, Sam is very happy in his current profession. You're  
going to have to bring up the Deputy Chief of staff position directly if  
you want to lure him back to D.C. Sam, is there any food on board?"  
Sam and I do a double take.

 

"Baby, I wasn't talking about the DCOS position."

 

"Well, you should. Sam would be good. Sam…food?"

 

"In the cooler behind me, Donna. How are you feeling?"

 

"Tired and hungry. Constantly." She smiles ruefully. "Whose  
heart are you breaking this week, Counselor Seaborn?"

 

"I'm taking this week off in honor of a visit from my two good  
friends." He quips back.

 

Donna goes to bed early, leaving Sam and I to drink beer on his balcony  
and I have to admit, the lifestyle that he has become accustomed to is  
pretty sweet. Still, I can't help thinking he isn't finished in  
politics. Maybe he's just taking a break like me. I like  
that…Sam and I are on Spring Break, just like the old days, except I  
already have a date now. I only have a couple beers, at least that's  
my story and I'm sticking to it. Since Donna was snoring when I got  
into bed she has no way to know any different. But when the alarm went  
off at 7:30 AM we both groan. Then I remember why I set my alarm.

 

"Come on, Donna, we have to get up." I rub her back as I fight  
to keep my eyes open.

 

"Noooo..akeuv;oudeugbai `cation." Right, I got the words no  
and `vacation' I think.

 

"Donna, Sam's making breakfast…." Her eyes open and she  
sit up.

 

"You better not be kidding." She glares at me as she puts on her  
robe and stomps into the kitchen. I follow right behind her.

 

"Why are we up eating breakfast at 7:30 in the morning on our  
vacation." She asks as she helps herself to one of the pancakes Sam  
has waiting for us.

 

"Because Sam has to be in court at 9:30 and I want him to drop us  
off at the airport before he goes." I tell her scooping a couple  
pancakes on my plate as Sam watches us from the other side of the   
table.  
He is already dressed and ready for the day. I find that just  
disgusting.

 

"Idiot. We just got here. You promised me two weeks AND you made me  
buy the tickets, too, so I have proof that we are not leaving  
today."

 

"Hold on, you made Donna buy the tickets for your honeymoon?  
That's just so wrong." Sam interjects.

 

"I didn't make her do anything. I've NEVER been able to make  
her do anything. She lost a bet; fair and square."

 

"Still tacky, my friend." He shakes his head and looks at his  
watch. "We better get going soon. Traffic is a killer. Ill get the  
luggage in the car."

 

"I see there are way more than 4 beer bottles on the counter, is  
that why you two are addled about when we're flying back to  
D.C.?" She polishes off the pancake and reaches for another. Sam  
stops mid-stride and leans up against the door jamb to watch the show.

 

"We're not flying back to D.C., I'm taking my daughter to  
Hawaii, but since you're more or less a package deal, you can come  
with us." Donna drops her fork and stares at me, then looks over at  
Sam.

 

"Is he kidding?" she asks him. Hey, I'm sitting right here.  
"Is it possible he's still drunk?"

 

"Nope. He wanted to surprise you and he was worried about the long  
flight time between D.C. and Hawaii, so he thought he could break it up  
into two days and kill two birds with one stone." Sam smiles like he  
thought of it himself.

 

"Ahhh!" Donna cries and launches herself at Sam. "You are so  
wonderful, Sam." Then she turns around and nearly tips us both over  
as she lands in my lap on the chair and kisses me senseless. "You, I  
love with all my heart!" and kisses me a little more for good  
measure. Sam coughs twice.

 

"I'll just,,,uh,,,get the luggage…we really have to get  
going soon, though…" he backs out of the kitchen and leaves us  
alone.

 

"What do you say Donnatella? Ready to explore the Hawaiian  
Islands?"

 

"Oh, yeah…" she lays her head on my shoulder.

 

"Oh, wait, I have something for you before we go." I disentangle  
myself from her to get a Barnes and Noble bag from the counter and   
hand  
it to her. She opens the bag and laughs as she sees several guidebooks  
for Hawaii.

Chapter 17

 

There is indeed a reason they call this place paradise. We have two   
more  
days before we're scheduled to return home and I can't say  
I'm anxious to go. We have been `unavailable' for the most  
part. We brought our cell phones and left them on to retrieve messages  
but up until now, they've been of the "hope you're having a  
great time" variety. Although, Toby and CJ have been taking turns  
requesting obnoxious tourist items, presumably for each other unless  
Toby really wants a grass skirt and coconut bra for himself.

 

Today, though, when we came in to shower and change for dinner, there  
was a message from Debbie Fiderer asking me to return for the   
President.  
Checking to see if Donna was still in the shower, I hurriedly hit the  
speed dial button on my cell that I have yet to erase, and in a  
surprisingly short amount of time, I'm on the line with the  
President of the United States.

 

"Hey, there Josh. How's Hawaii? How's Donna feeling."

 

"It's paradise, sir, and Donna is alternately tired and hungry,  
but constantly happy."

 

"I'm glad to hear it. Give her my love, will you?"

 

"Yes, sir. How is everything there?"

 

"Well now that you mention it, I need you to do me and the D triple  
C a favor."

 

"I already talked to Sam about making another run, sir, but he may  
need a little more time."

 

"I wasn't talking about Sam. I need your help on the health care  
bill."

 

"I assume you're having trouble with someone in particular?"

 

"Matt Santos from Texas is causing a bit of a dust up, and I need  
you to do whatever it is you do to get him on board."

 

"See the thing is, sir, I'm in Hawaii… with Donna…and  
this isn't exactly my job anymore."

 

"What isn't your job anymore?" Donna asked as she joined me  
in the living room. I mouth `It's the President' and she  
gives me a warning glare.

 

"Donna says `hi' sir."

 

"I bet she does. I'm not asking you to cut your trip short,  
Josh. You get back on Sunday. Santos can see you Monday afternoon   
at 2.  
The vote's not scheduled until Wednesday, but I'd feel better if  
you didn't leave it until the last second."

 

"M. President, with 3 term Congressmen like Santos all you need to  
do is play the re-election card. Your favorability numbers are at an all  
time high. There's no way he's not going to want you stumping  
for him."

 

"He's not running for re-election. The D triple C would  
apreciate it if you could do something about that. Apparently he's  
decided he wants to do something meaningful in his last term in  
Congress."

 

"I hate it when that happens. Have CJ try-"

 

"CJ has tried Josh, but she doesn't have a relationship with the  
man, yet. Seriously, she's stepped into the job very well, but on  
this one thing, we need the Lyman touch. Monday at 2, then. Tell Donna   
I  
want to see her and some Hawaiian pictures when you get back. Bye,  
Josh."

 

"Mr. President…" I'm talking to a dial tone. I look up at  
Donna who's watching me carefully. I drop my eyes from her.

 

"I KNEW this would happen. I KNEW you couldn't stay out of White  
House business. I said `don't commit to 2 weeks if you can't  
commit to 2 weeks." I reach up, pull her down on my lap and kiss her  
into silence.

 

"We're not leaving early. I promise. The President wants me to  
meet someone on Monday afternoon; the day after we get back. He   
needs  
some help on the health care bill with a particular Congressmen  
and-" she shakes my arm.

 

"You don't have to leave early?" she clarifies

 

"No, and this appointment won't take long, I swear."

 

"That's fine. Let's go have dinner." She starts to get  
up.

 

"That's fine; let's go have dinner? The hell? You aren't  
going to give me a speech about wading back into politics less than a  
month after I left?"

 

"Of course not." She tells me as she fastens her earrings.

 

"Just for future reference, could you tell me why not?"

 

"Why would I? First, the President asked for your help and the  
health care bill is very important. Second, the decision to get out of  
politics was yours in the first place. If and when you want to get back  
in is entirely up to you. I'd like to discuss it with you. I'd  
like to know what's going on in your head so I can feel like  
we're together in this, but as long as you're taking care of  
yourself it doesn't matter to me if you're working on the Hill,  
or making sandwiches at the local deli."

 

"Sam said I should practice law with him." I throw out and she  
laughs.

 

"He did not! You can't practice law."

 

"I do have a law degree, Donna."

 

"Yes, but practicing law requires that you have…you  
know…organization and lawyer type skills. You should stick to making  
and reforming the law. Let's go, I'm starving." And as  
simple as that, Donna settles the matter.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

"Mr. Lyman, Congressman Santos will be right with you. He's just  
finishing up a conference call."

 

"Thanks." I wander the waiting area a bit. It feels strange to  
be back here; like it felt after I recovered from the shooting, like I  
don't belong here anymore. I pick up the news paper and start to  
read just as the door opens.

 

"Ronna, you said I had a meeting with Josh Lyman. This man can't  
be Josh Lyman; he has a tan and looks all relaxed." He shakes my  
hand and I smile in acknowledgment of the barb.

 

"Congressman. Good to see you."

 

"I heard the damnedest rumor the other day." He said as he led  
me back into his private office. "Has that incredible wife of yours  
actually agreed to have a child with you?"

 

"Amazing, isn't it? She's searching for a new family sized  
place as we speak. Apparently, a 2 bedroom apartment is inadequate for  
us and a child the size of a football."

 

"It's not the child; it's all the paraphernalia they come  
with."

 

"I guess. Speaking of rumors…what the hell is this nonsense  
about you not running again? I would've called the person who told  
me the rumor a liar except that it was the President."

 

"It's not a rumor. I'm done Josh. 3 terms is enough for me.  
I want to go back to Texas while my children still recognize me."

 

"You're too good at this to quit."

 

"I'm not quitting, I'm retiring. Speaking of retirement,  
what is so important that Bartlet brings his pit bull out of  
retirement?"

 

"The health care bill-"

 

"Is not nearly adequate and you know it."

 

"It's a step, Congressman, an important step, and the only one  
we can take without a majority in Congress and you know it."

 

"Yeah, which is why I'm working with the majority office."

 

"The majority? You get a little too much sun on your last swing  
through Texas? The majority is not in favor of health care reform,  
Congressman."

 

"But they do love the money, don't they?" he asks smiling.

 

"The money? The PAC money?"

 

"PAC money, lobbyist money, all kinds of money, Josh. It also sends  
the health insurance companies running to us with much better  
options."

 

"What kind of better options?"

 

"So far, universal immunizations and well checks for all children  
under 3, but I have another meeting with them after you and I are done.  
I'm going to push for children to 10 years of age and settle for 6.  
I also think we can get a decent prescription plan."

 

"So you haven't left the reservation so much as taken Custer for  
a tour of the reservation."

 

"That's one way to put it I guess. I get a whole lot more  
leverage working with Haffley on this than the President. Tell him to  
keep playing good cop, and I'll play dead when it's time."

 

"He'll be very happy to hear that. Is there some reason you  
couldn't tell CJ Cregg all this?"

 

"She's the White House Chief of Staff. I'm not cooperating  
with the White House right now." He drawls.

 

"You really need to re-consider running for re-election."

 

"I am NOT running for Congress again, Josh. I am going to go back to  
Texas, spend time with my family, and never negotiate another deal   
again  
unless they have to do with the distribution of household chores; but  
thanks for stopping by." He rises and holds out a hand.  
"Congratulations on the baby, Josh. Take good care of your  
family."

 

"Well now we got immunizations and well checks for the first few  
years so we're off to a good start." I return. "Thanks for  
your time and your hard work."

 

 

I spend the rest of the afternoon checking in on some of the members of  
Congress I hate the least and accepting congratulations on the baby.  
I'm not sure how news of the baby got circulated, but I'm  
betting it can be traced back to Margaret who heard part of the phone  
call Donna made to her parents from my office the day she gave me the  
news.

 

Donna and I have been invited to dinner in the residence with the  
Bartlet's this evening. So I pick her up at home, where she is  
stuffing her face with chips and salsa by the way, before we head to the  
White House. I remind her that we're going there for dinner, but she  
merely gives me a look and a shrug before stuffing two last chips in her  
mouth.

 

We clear security and Charlie comes out to greet us with hugs and a  
smile before walking us up to the residence.

 

"How you feeling, Donna?"

 

"Good Charlie, thanks. How have things been going around here?"

 

"A little quieter since we kicked this one out of the building."  
He indicates me. "The President tells me you're going to be  
working on a book about the first campaign." he says to Donna.

 

"Actually, that would be me Charlie." I pipe up.

 

"Of course it is." He responds sarcastically. "The President  
wanted me to tell you he's cleared it with the staff for you to get  
quotes from whomever you need." He goes back to addressing Donna.

 

"Thanks, Charlie. How's Zoey?"

 

"She's doing great." He laughs at some inside joke. "She  
wanted to join you for dinner." He says as he opens the door.

 

"Surprise!" comes from all over the room as we're joined by  
the Bartlet family (incuding Zoey) and our friends and colleagues from  
the West Wing.

 

Zoey is the first to run up and give me a hug. "Hey, Daddy, you sure  
you're ready for this?" she teases.

 

"I've managed to deal with you all these years, so I have some  
practice now don't I." I give her another hug, genuinely pleased  
she's here. Then the President asks for everyone's attention.

 

"Since you two essentially eloped, although I suspect Josh just  
wanted to take advantage of Donna's weakened state in Germany, I  
decided we need to celebrate the Wedding as well as the blessed even  
that will be taking place in just a few months." Champagne is passed  
to me with sparkling grape juice for Donna. "Josh, Donna, you are  
both missed around here, but there isn't a soul present who  
doesn't wish you and your growing family the very best and brightest  
future. To the Lyman family…Cheers!"

 

After the President's toast, which has reduced my wife to tears, we  
get passed from friend to friend and asked the same questions over and  
over again about the baby, Hawaii, and the book deal. Toby, predictably  
starts a baby pool, but foolishly bets against me and wagers that  
it's a boy. When I make it over to CJ, she reluctantly hugs me.

 

"I'm not sure I've forgiven you yet."

 

"You're doing a great job, even the President says so."

 

"Yeah, but he called you on Santos."

 

"Only because I know him better and Santos wasn't taking any  
calls from the White House. Turns out it's a head fake to the right.  
He's one of the good guys. I tell you if I could get him to run for  
re-election…"

 

"Maybe if you offered to run his campaign. You know, Bartlet's  
pit bull tames the wild west. We could get you a big hat."

 

"Wardrobe considerations aside, Texas isn't my kind of town.  
Hoynes kind of soured it for me. Besides, Donna might have something   
to  
say about me ditching her and the baby to go to Texas."

 

"A baby. Pretty heady stuff, mi amore." I glance over at where  
Donna is getting baby advice from several women of the West Wing  
including Dr. Bartlet.

 

"Pretty heady alright. Fill me in on 483." I mention a hotly  
contested bill sitting in the house right now. She starts telling me  
about the inner goings on for a few minutes before she stops abruptly.

 

"Is this for the book?" she teases.

 

"The book is strictly about the first campaign. I'll have my  
assistant get in touch with you for an interview for the book."

 

"Better not let Donna hear you say that."

 

"I am not afraid of my wife, Claudia Jean. In marriage, somebody has to  
be in charge; that somebody is me. It's a dynamic that has worked  
well in our professional lives as well as our personal lives. She knows  
it as well as I do." At this point CJ literally spits our her drink  
and I go pale. "She's standing right behind me now, isn't  
she?" CJ nods as she tries to get her breath.

 

"Hi, Donna. CJ and I were just talking about the book."

 

"I heard. So who is this assistant you've hired?" she asks  
and CJ starts sputtering again.

 

"I haven't hired one yet, but it would probably be a good idea,  
don't you think? I don't want you to overdo." I try to  
cover.

 

"I think an assistant would be a great idea, Joshua. I'll start  
interviewing next week."

 

"Great…" Dinner is served and Donna speeds off to the buffet as  
CJ continues to laugh at me. Ahhh, it's good to be back.

Chapter 18

 

At seven months pregnant, Donna is huge. I mean beached whale huge.   
Not  
that I am stupid enough to mention this. Well, not stupid enough to  
mention it twice anyway. The first time I may have let it slip that her  
stomach was getting fat she cried and wouldn't talk to me for the  
rest of the day. In my own defense, she had spent the two previous   
weeks  
asking me several times a day if I could tell she was pregnant yet. So I  
thought she would be excited to know I could finally tell…not so  
much..

 

The whole hiring an assistant thing was a big ruse. Every once in  
awhile, when I'd suitable annoy her, she would pretend to look over  
various resumes she'd accumulated from somewhere or other, but  
nothing actually came of it. She just did it to scare me. We've  
gotten through the bulk of the book. There's only one chapter left  
to write, although Donna's still editing and filling in some  
pictures and details I don't have the patience for.

 

The White House still taps me occasionally to help on a variety of  
issues that come up. Sometimes the President calls to pick my brain, or  
bore me with trivia. Donna has split her time between helping me with  
the book and getting our new home ready for the arrival of our daughter.  
No, I don't know for sure, for sure, but I do know for sure.  
We've been arguing over names. Donna only selects boy names and I  
only select girl names. We're not getting very far in our decision  
making except that the nursery is done. Donna went with a Winnie the  
Pooh theme, claiming all children love Pooh Bear. I didn't find it  
completely objectionable, although I still say my daughter would like a  
Mets themed room.

 

Today, I'm on the Hill having lunch with Matt Skinner. We are having  
a friendly argument about the odds of the new fuel standards passing   
the  
House when my phone rings.

 

"Josh Lyman."

 

"Mr. Lyman, this is GW hospital calling. Your wife was just brought  
in for pre-term labor, and she's asking for you." I swear I  
didn't hear anything past the words GW hospital. The blood rushed  
from my head and I fumbled as I tried to stand. Matt looked up in alarm.

 

"Is she okay? What about the baby? It's too soon for the  
baby." I stammer.

"At this point, they're both fine. We're giving your wife  
medication to try to stop the labor, but we suggest you get over here as  
soon as possible."

 

"I'll be right there." I hang up and give Matt the bullet  
points. He slips some money on the table and quickly catches up with   
me.

 

"I'll drive you." he says and I simply hand him my keys. The  
ride to GW seems interminable. When we get there, we're directed to  
the labor/delivery floor and I don't take that as a good sign. I  
haven't called either of our parents yet, not wanting to alarm them  
and not having much information to give.

 

I ask for Donna's room and I am pulled aside by a charge nurse who  
explains that since talking to me, Donna's water broke, so stopping  
the labor is no longer an option. She instructs me to keep Donna calm  
and positive. She reassures me that although the baby is coming early,  
they are prepared to for every eventuality and I shouldn't panic.  
Right. Matt tells me he'll wait in the lounge down the hall and I  
nod absentmindedly as I follow the nurse to Donna.

 

She looks small and scared in the hospital bed. Her hair is in a  
ponytail, and with her face devoid of make up and racked with tears, she  
looks like she is about 17. I rush over to her side and hold her while  
she cries.

 

"Shhh, Donnatella, it's going to be okay. Take a breath."

 

"I'm so scared." She confesses. I know the feeling.

 

"Listen to me now. You and our daughter are going to be just fine.  
This nurse here, Shannon, who is my new best friend by the way,   
assures  
me this is a walk in the park around here. They do this all the  
time."

 

"Yeah, but I don't, and I think you mean our SON." Happy to  
have gotten a rise out of her on any subject I continue.

 

"I'm gonna humor you because I think you're having a bad  
day, but in a little while when our daughter comes out to meet us,  
you're going to have apologize to her."

 

There is a flurry of nurses that parade in and out of our room while the  
machine that monitors our baby's heartbeat, shows a reassuring  
rhythm. Donna tearfully explains how she went out to get a couple things  
for the home office and forgot to take her phone. After a few minutes at  
the store, she started feeling twinges in her lower back which quickly  
moved to cramps around her stomach. The fast thinking store clerk   
dialed  
911 and got her to the hospital in record time. Remind me to get  
something….really nice for that guy.

 

Donna is starting to calm down a little and the doctor comes in to do  
her thing and tell us it will probably be a few hours yet, since Donna  
is only dilated to 4 centimeters. Donna snorted at the `only'  
comment. I called our parents to let them know what was going on and  
promised frequent updates. I brought Matt up to speed and told him he  
should go, but he insisted on waiting. He's a pretty decent guy for  
a Republican.

 

Normally, I'm guessing that the waiting is harder on the  
mother-to-be than on the father-to-be, but normally I'm guessing the  
father-to-be is more patient than I am. I hate seeing Donna in pain, and  
Donna in pain is not fun to be around. In fact, she's decidedly  
crabby.

 

For instance, I was watching the monitor which has two different needles  
to indicate the baby's heartbeat and the intensity of the  
contractions. The needle for the contractions went about half-way up as  
Donna was doing her breathing and muttering expletives at me.

 

"Hey, that's almost done now and it only went halfway up.  
That's not too bad." I point out. As soon as the contraction  
finishes, she hits me with the back of the hand closest to me.

 

"Shut the fuck up, Joshua!"

 

"I'm just telling you the needle only went-"

 

"I don't want to hear about the fucking needle do you understand  
me?! I already have two needles monitoring me and the baby and   
another  
needle stuck in my arm. I've had more than enough of needles."

 

"Okay…why don't we try some ice chips?" I offer and  
bring them to her.

 

She hits them out of my hand. "I don't want any goddamned ice  
chips. I want whiskey, straight up."

 

"I don't think that's good for the baby, Donna."

 

"Then she shouldn't stay in there anymore should she? She should  
get the hell out so I can have a drink and some sleep." This is the  
first time she has ever referred to the baby as a girl, but I keep that  
to myself. I also don't mention that according to the baby book I  
read, she can't have that whiskey even after she gives birth since  
she will be breastfeeding. See how smart I'm getting?

 

I run the cold washcloth over her forehead. "Hang in there, honey,  
just a little longer and you'll be holding our baby. Just  
concentrate on that."

 

"It hurts so much, Josh."

 

"I know. You are so strong." I look over at the monitor to see  
where this contraction is headed, but the line is holding steady. A  
moment later bells start to go off and the baby's heartbeat line  
dips dramatically. I'm unceremoniously pushed aside as nurses and  
doctors assess the situation. I move back to take Donna's hand and  
notice her eyes are drooping closed.

 

"Donna. Donna look at me." But she doesn't respond.

 

"Mr. Lyman, we're going to need to do an emergency c-section.  
The baby's heart rate has dropped and your wife's blood pressure  
is too low." They start wheeling her out of the room.

 

Nurse Shannon takes my arm. "Let's get you into scrubs, Mr.  
Lyman, so you can join your wife after they prep her."

 

"I don't do so well with…medical procedures." I tell her  
as I start putting on the scrubs she hands me. She then propels me to a  
sink where she helps me scrub my hands and arms.

 

"We're going to sit you right next to her head, where you can  
talk to her and hold her hand, but we can face you the opposite  
direction so you don't have to watch the procedure, okay?"

 

"Yeah, I can do that." I hope I sound more convincing than I  
feel.

 

"If you start to feel faint or nauseous, put your head between your  
knees and call me." Apparently I didn't sound that convincing to  
my new best friend Shannon. After we've finished washing, she brings  
me to Donna, who is awake but drunk looking.

 

"You've got a funny hat on again." She notes.  
"You're so funny, Joshua. Your book is funny too."

 

"Yeah, I'm a laugh riot, Donnatella. How are you feeling?"

 

"I can't feel anything." She tells me than drops her voice  
to a whisper. "They gave me drugs."

 

"That's good. That's just fine." I tell her. "Do you  
think you could share?" I take one glance around the room before I  
decide I should just concentrate on her face. There is a drape over the  
bottom half of her body and I think that's wonderful idea.

 

The doctor gives us a running commentary on what she's doing and  
Shannon tells me I'm doing fine several times along the way, which I  
pass on to Donna. In what seems like hours, but it actually about 10  
minutes, the doctor announces we have a baby girl. I see a glimpse of  
her before she is taken to the incubator to be cleaned and cared for.  
She doesn't cry but makes a little mewing sound and she is way too  
small.

 

"Donna, we have a daughter and she is just as beautiful as her  
Mom." Donna smiles and a tear slips down her face.

 

"She weighs 4 pounds and 2 ounces." Shannon announces from the  
incubation unit. I stroke Donna's face as the Doctor finishes  
whatever the hell she's doing. Next thing I know Shannon is handing  
me my daughter.

 

"You can hold her for a minute, but then she needs the light and  
heat from the incubator." Shannon smiles at me. "You look good  
there Dad. Have you and Mom picked a name yet?"

 

"What do you think Mom? Look what you did." I kiss Donna and  
hold the baby right next to her face. "I'd let you pick a name,  
but all you've got are boy names on your little list, Donna."  
She gives me a watery smile.

 

"I have a girl's name, too." She counters.

 

"Just one?" I tease.

 

"Just one…Abigail Joan." She looks at me for my reaction. I  
look down at the baby in my arms. "Hi there, Miss Abigail Joan  
Lyman. We're so glad to finally meet you." Shannon takes her  
from my arms and I think about fighting her for Abigail for a second,  
but decide against it.

 

"I'm so tired, Joshua." She slurs.

 

"Try to sleep then, Donna. Abigail is fine. You did great. Get some  
rest and I'll take care of you two for awhile."

 

"I love you Joshua."

 

"I love you too, Donnatella. Sleep now." I stare in wonder from  
my wife to my daughter and back again. We get settled back in our room  
and I sit in a rocker between my two women, with an hand on each of  
them. My last thought before i slip into sleep is that Toby is going to  
have to pay me 50 bucks. I told him not to bet on a boy...

Chapter 19

 

When I get back from my search for coffee, the hallway to Donna's  
room is empty but for several gentlemen in dark suits and earpieces.  
Even in my sleep deprived state I know very well what this means. I nod  
a greeting to the agents at the door and prepare myself for a  
conversation with the President and First Lady.

 

A.J. had a good night. They're continuing to monitor her breathing  
since sometimes preemies lungs aren't fully developed. She stays  
hooked up to extra oxygen when she's in her incubator, stays under  
the McDonald's warmer, and has an apnea monitor which resembles a  
small black belt that fits around her chest and beeps obnoxiously if her  
heart rate dips or the contacts move away from her skin. Right now,  
thought she is being held by the President of the United States while  
the First Lady fights for her turn.

 

"There he is." Bartlet beams at me as he hands A.J. to his wife.  
"So what do you know now, that you didn't know yesterday?"

 

"I would appoint a Republican as Surgeon General if she asked me  
to." I tell him simply. He nods in acknowledgement. "Of course I  
intend to raise her to know better than that, sir."

 

"Of course. When are they saying you can take her home?"

 

"That's going to depend on A.J. She has to be able to keep her  
body temperature stable without the warming light, take all her feedings  
without needing supplements, keep her oxygen level up and steadily   
gain  
weight. They're guessing it will be at least a couple weeks."

 

"You're going to need some help for awhile." He notes as he  
watches the women coo over the baby.

 

"All the Grandparents will be here by this afternoon. After that,  
I'll be lucky to hold her." I tell him.

 

"That's a good thing, Joshua." The First Lady chimes in.  
"Skin to skin contact has been proven to be extremely beneficial for  
preemies. They'll teach you how to do baby massage here, too. Also,  
music helps regulate breathing and heart rate."

 

"Easy there Abigail, you're on information overload and these  
new parents haven't had much sleep." The President remarks.

 

"I'll write it all down for them. I want my namesake to have all  
the help she can get." At this point, Ms. Claudia Jean Cregg comes  
in bearing gifts.

 

"Hey, look at her! Donna, she's so beautiful!" CJ exclaims  
as she moves closer to Abby to get a better look.

 

"Why does Donna get all the credit for that?" I ask. CJ just  
gives me a dirty look.

 

"Would you like to hold her?" Abby asks.

 

"Would I ever. Just a second, though. First, I have something for  
Mom." She hands Donna a basket filled with bottles of scented stuff.  
"And something for Abigail Joan." She hands over another basket  
with tiny little girlie clothes, but what captures my attention is the  
itty bitty little Mets hat that perches on the top.

 

"Check that out? How did you know which team hat to get her?" I  
ask suspiciously.

 

"I have known you for how many years, Joshua Lyman? Do you think I  
haven't heard you talk about this team for years?"

 

"So Toby helped you?"

 

"A little bit, yeah, but first he tried to trick me into the New  
York Yankees, so I should get credit for knowing that was wrong."  
She tells me.

 

"Fair enough. Thanks Ceej. Wait, where's my gift?"

 

"Why should you get a gift? You didn't do anything  
difficult."

 

"Donna hit me several times, and she swore at me a lot."

 

"I'm sure you deserved it. Your gift is that you get to take  
these beautiful women home with you." Abby joins in as she passes  
A.J. to C.J.

 

Now I'm tired, but I'm not stupid, so I just nod and smile even  
though I still think I got gypped in the gift department.

 

"We have to get back, Josh, but if there's anything you need,  
don't hesitate to let us know." The President tells me as he  
shakes my hand. "Take care of your ladies."

 

"Yes, sir, you know I will. Thanks for coming by. Thanks for  
everything Dr. B. and I do mean everything." I tell her softly and  
she knows I mean all the help since Germany.

 

"My pleasure, Joshua. Try to get some rest."

 

"Well there has to be some comfort in knowing she takes after you,  
Donna." CJ is telling her. "She has your looks and your sense of  
timing; early rather than Josh's perpetual lateness."

 

"I think I would have been okay with her being a little late in this  
case." Donna says wistfully. The doctors were in this morning with  
the list of possible complications for preemies. It was a long list. On  
the plus side though, she has some advantages; she made it past the  
critical 28 week mark having been born at just over 30 weeks, she's  
breathing on her own, her heart rate is stable and Donna's been able  
to feed her twice already. I prefer to focus on these issues and the  
fact that both the Moss and Lyman genes provide strong overcoming  
adversity components.

 

"She is a lucky little girl." CJ continues. "She's got  
two pretty great parents." I hug CJ from behind and gaze over her  
shoulder at my baby girl.

 

"Thanks Claudia Jean. It's nice of you to come…now  
where's my $50 from Toby?"

 

"Actually, that's in my pocket having picked a girl, and being  
the closest to the birth date and weight." I groan and both women  
laugh. "If it makes you feel any better I blew most of it on the  
gift."

 

"Which I didn't personally receive." I point out.

 

"Sure you do, just indirectly." I look over and see Donna's  
eyes getting heavy. CJ follows my gaze and takes the hint.

 

"I'm going to go so you three can rest. She reluctantly hands my  
baby girl back to me and I in turn, reluctantly place her under the  
warming light in her open incubator as she tells Donna goodbye.

 

"See you later, Dad." She hugs me goodbye. "You did  
good." She whispers and leaves flanked by her agents.

 

 

Ruth Lyman is not a quiet person; she celebrates loud, mourns loud,  
laughs loud, and lectures loud. So I'm not sure how she managed to  
sneak in and snatch her Granddaughter without waking up either Donna   
or  
me. Nonetheless, when I wake up the sight that greets me is my Mother  
rocking A.J. while singing her a song in Yiddish that I remember from  
childhood. I quietly get up so as not to wake Donna and make my way  
across the room to them.

 

"She's absolutely precious, Joshua. Absolutely precious."

 

"I know." I tell her as I try to sneak a look over at her  
monitor. Mom catches me.

 

"The nurse said it would be okay to hold her for awhile. I've  
got her wrapped up nice and warm, and look how strong her heart is,  
Joshua. She has a strong steady heart, just like her Father." My  
eyes well up and I kiss her cheek.

 

"Thanks Mom. I'm glad you're here…I talked to Donna  
earlier. We wanted to ask you if you'd stay with us awhile; help  
with A.J."

 

"There's no place I would rather be. You and Donna will probably  
have to kick me out."

 

"You're going to like our new place. Donna's made it a real  
home for us."

 

"I'm sure she has. Her parents won't mind that I'm  
staying?"

 

"Her Mom hasn't been doing too well health-wise. I don't  
think she'd be up to it even if she wanted to."

 

"Okay then. You're stuck with me."

 

"Looks that way. Bummer for me, great for A.J."

 

"Joshua Lyman!"

 

"I just mean you and Donna are going to be ganging up on me all the  
time."

 

"Only when you deserve it. First we need to discuss this baseball  
cap. You do know you have a baby girl, right?"

 

"My daughter will proudly wear the Met's hat that the White  
House Chief of Staff bought for her as well as any other Met's  
accessories her Father deems appropriate."

 

"I'll talk to Donna about it."

 

"No, Mom, this is what I'm talking about-"

 

"Lower your voice, Joshua, you'll wake one of your girls. I was  
only teasing."

 

I am rescued by the arrival of Donna's parents and Mom graciously  
passes A.J. to Elena and the ensuing chatter wakes Donna. That starts a

whole new round of hugs and exclamations. I decide to take advantage   
of  
all the company and go home for some rest. I kiss my girls goodbye and  
sleep drive home.

 

I try to fall asleep with CNN on in the background and feel somewhat  
relieved that the growing problems in North Korea aren't my problem,  
but it just doesn't feel right without Donna next to me. I miss my  
girls.

Chapter 20

 

It's been three long weeks, but today A.J. finally comes home.  
Weighing in at 5 lbs, 4 Oz, Abigail Joan Lyman, in her Winnie the Pooh  
ensemble and Met's cap entered her own room for the first time. I  
think Donna and I just stared at her for a good five minutes before Mom  
called us down to lunch. Mom has been amazing. She's done the  
cooking, the cleaning, and everything else we needed. She went back to  
Florida for a couple days to pack additional necessities and I thought I  
was going to die. Don't tell her I said that.

 

Today is a celebration. Everyone is home where they belong. So I   
answer  
the phone with a smile on my face.

 

"Did she throw up on the bear yet?" is the opening salvo from  
Toby Ziegler who is having `artistic differences' with Donna  
over the theme of the nursery which is Winnie the Pooh.

 

"You know, Toby, I'm not honestly sure she can make out the  
characters yet."

 

"Tell Toby she loves it." Donna shouts guessing the nature of  
his remarks.

 

"You know he isn't even American?" he counters.

 

"Who isn't American?" I'm lost already, but still  
smiling.

 

"The Bear. He's English, you know. Couldn't she at least  
pick an American retarded cartoon character?"

 

"I think we're just happy she is in the nursery at all right  
now." I ignore his other comment.

 

"I guess." He says, sounding remarkably like Eeyore. What? Donna  
made me watch it with A.J. in the hospital.

 

"I guess." I chuckle at the image of Toby as Eeyore.  
"What's up?"

 

"I have a head's up for you and a question for you." He  
tells me.

 

"Okay, shoot."

 

"You're going to be hearing from a couple people soon. Will  
Bailey has been asking about when it might be appropriate to approach  
you about spear-heading Russell's campaign for President."

 

"You're joking."

 

"I am not." He grunts. "Bingo Bob running for high office is  
NOT a joking matter."

 

"Ok. Well that's a no brainer. What else you got?"

 

"Hoynes has been – " I don't even let him finish.

 

"Yeah, he sent me an autographed copy of "Time to Lead"; it  
even had an inscription. I may reciprocate when mine comes out next  
month. What else?"

 

"You aren't tempted at all?"

 

"He burned too many bridges and he's not the real thing. I  
wouldn't waste my time."

 

"Then who? Bingo Bob?" he's getting agitated.

 

"I don't know. Why is this getting you all worked up,  
buddy."

 

"Cause of the thing I'm going to ask you next." He pauses  
and I wait for him to gather his thoughts. "Who do you think will be  
our strongest opposition next year?"

 

"Hell, Toby, I'm not as plugged in a I used to be, but I'd  
guess Haffley or Walken off the top of my head." Where is he going  
with this?

 

"What about Vinnick?"

 

"Vinnick is good, but he's like 100 years old; no way is he up  
to a National campaign. Besides, he's a shoo-in in California, I  
wouldn't think he'd be interested in higher office."

 

"Oh, I think he's interested."

 

"What makes you think so?"

 

"He told me he was when the President sent me to his office today to  
offer him an Ambassadorship and he turned it down." Silence as I  
think this through in my head. Vinnick; moderate on the right,  
pro-choice, lock on California…Holy Shit. Arnold Vinnick? I sit down  
as the import of this news hits me in the chest and wraps around my  
throat.

 

"We've got no one who can beat him, Josh. That's what  
I'm saying. We got no one. Do you see what I'm saying?"  
Yeah, I see it alright.

 

 

When Donna's done feeding A.J., I offer to bring her back to her  
crib. She still has the apnea monitor on, just as a precaution, so I  
have to hook her back up to it when I lay her down. I watch her a minute  
and I start to think about the President and what he's done to make  
the world a better place for her and then I start to wonder if the next  
guy will just undo it all. Who's next? What's next?

 

The book's done and I'm feeling at a loss for the first time since I  
left the White House. I have plenty of offers to teach, but I'm not  
ready for that yet. There have been offers to run Senate and  
Congressional seats; and even offers to run Presidential campaigns, if  
Toby is to be believed. Nothing resonates. Donna has bounced idea   
after  
idea off of me, but nothing has that zing. Maybe you only get one  
`zing' point in your career and I've had mine already. God,  
that's depressing. I sit down in the living room and turn the TV on  
low. News headlines…great.

 

I feel the cushion of the couch move and Donna puts her arms around   
me.

 

"Can't sleep?"

 

"Nope. You should go back to bed." I flip through all the cable  
news stations and back again before settling on MSNBC. Our old pal   
Chris  
Matthews is interviewing Matt Santos and Chris Wick about legislation  
they've co-authored. Chris has come a long way, but it's clear  
who the driving source was on this one. God, I wish he would run again.  
He's got it all; brains, charm, looks and integrity. You can't  
teach that and you can't fake that. What a waste. Go back to Texas  
and do what? Accomplish what? If only he'd-

 

I sit forward on the couch and turn up the volume.

 

"Chris and I realized there was a vital piece missing in the welfare  
system. Once you realize there's a hole in the road, aren't you  
honor bound to fill it before someone gets hurt?" Santos is giving  
an impassioned plea.

 

"But what do you say to critics who say it's going to end up  
costing the average taxpayer a lot more money for little results?"  
Matthews presses him.

 

"In the short term, there will be a small jump, that's true, but  
in the long term it will actually cost taxpayers less as this provision  
will help more people get off welfare for good."

 

"You're friends on the right insist they shouldn't have to  
pay for the food and rent of people who won't work. Why do you think  
we should?"

 

"I don't agree with your premise, Chris. Are there people who  
try to take advantage of the system? Of course there are. There always  
will be. But 1 in 3 of the poorest of our poor are children."

 

Now Donna leans forward. "Did he just say…?"

 

"Yes." I answer without looking away from the screen.

 

"They don't have the option to get a job or change their  
economic circumstances. Many of the people on welfare want to get off,  
and want an opportunity to be self-sustaining." Chris Wick  
interjects.

 

"A woman in my district, who left her abusive husband and is trying  
to care for her 2 small children alone, actually loses her welfare money  
if she gets a part time job to supplement her income or pay for school  
so she can get a degree. She gets monetarily punished for trying to  
better herself and her family situation. Her story is not unusual."

 

"So there should be no time limits on welfare checks. They should be  
able to receive them indefinitely?" Matthews baits him.

 

"That's not what we're suggesting. We want to use the  
bureaucracy already in place to help lift these people up as long as  
they're attempting to better their situation; reward them monetarily  
instead of punish them. We are the richest country in the world. Are you  
really trying to tell me we can't afford to make sure everyone here  
has what they need; especially when they're willing to work for  
it?" Matt hits it right back.

 

"That's all the time we have tonight. My thanks to Congressmen  
Santos and Wick for taking the time to explain the details of their new  
plan to us this evening. Thanks for watching Hard Ball; I'm Chris  
Matthews. Goodnight."

"ZING!"


	5. Priorities chapters 21-25

Chapter 21

 

"It's impossible, Joshua."

 

"It isn't Donna. Or maybe it is, but I can still do it."

 

"You can, can you?"

"Sure, I do impossible things all the time. You can buy my book next  
month and read all about how I took this impossible campaign for a dark  
horse, liberal, New Englander, and got him elected President."

"You did that all by your lonesome, did you?" she drawls.

 

"Of course not. I can't do everything. I need lots of minions to  
do my bidding too." I grab her around the waist and twirl her into  
A.J.'s room. Our daughter is awake and gurgling, no doubt supporting  
me in infant babble-speak. "Want to be my minion and do my bidding,  
Donnatella?"

 

"I pretty sure I already do." She laughs and A.J.'s head  
turns toward the sound. She is SO smart I tell you.

 

"Then getting Matt Santos to do my bidding should be a piece of  
cake."

 

"Sorry, Joshua. He won't even consider running for re-election  
in Congress. You are demented if you think you can get him to run for  
President. And even if you got him to consider running for President, he  
wouldn't have a chance in hell. Russell has the money, Hoynes has  
the party backers and anyone else doesn't have enough of either to  
compete with them." Donna ticked off the points as she scooped up  
A.J. and disconnected her from her monitor.

 

"Damn I taught you well. And these obstacles would very well stop  
other mortals, but Joshua Lyman is not a mere mortal."

 

"I know, I know. Read your book." She hands me our daughter and  
I dance around the room with her until my Mother's laughter stops me  
mid-twirl.

 

"If Congress could see you now. Bartlet's pit bull indeed. How  
is my sweet little Abigail this morning?" she coos at A.J. Mom does  
not like calling her Granddaughter A.J. Not feminine enough.

 

"She's fine. It's your son who is having delusions of  
grandeur. Want to check him for a fever?" Donna answers.

 

"Sweetheart, if I checked him for fever every time he had delusions  
of grandeur I wouldn't have time for anything else." Mom tells  
her.

 

"Excuse me, but who was it that –"

 

"Yes dear, your `da man'." Mom interjects. "Donna,  
do you think maybe the problem is he believes his own press?"

 

"I think it may be more that he writes his own press…and  
it's fiction."

 

"I am taking my daughter into the office with me where she and I are  
going to buy a ticket to Huston and strategize away from you  
nay-sayers." A.J. looks up at me adoringly and I figure I've got  
about ten to fifteen minutes before she realizes I'm not packing  
breakfast and she `requests' Donna so I hurry to the office.

 

 

Thanks to the book tour, I will be heading through Huston just a week  
before Christmas, so scheduling a short stop there will be no problem.  
I've got a little time then to pull the plan together. He's  
going to need a campaign manager, and although I'd love to get Leo  
on board, he just doesn't have the stamina for it anymore. Bruno is  
good, but I have the feeling Santos would find him a little  
too…snake oilish. That leaves Mandy.

 

I know, I know, but she is good and she's worked national campaigns  
before. She will know how best to package him and handle the details. I  
figure I'll shoot her off an email and see if she's interested  
before I broach the subject with Donna. Mandy's married now to  
another political operative and I hear they make a good team. I'm  
sure Donna won't have a problem with it. So sure, in fact, I  
probably don't have to mention it at all.

 

I start the book tour with soft ball lobbing Larry King in 2 weeks.  
I'll have Thanksgiving week off, then hit the road again until  
Christmas. The thought of being apart from Donna and A.J. is killing me.  
So I'm doing my best to convince her to come with me for at least  
part of the time. I have given her the "Mom is tired and could use a  
break in Florida with her friends" speech. So far, no takers, but I  
haven't given up.

 

"Donna!" I shout from the office.

 

"Don't shout Joshua, A.J.'s sleeping." She hurries in  
and admonishes me.

 

"On the second floor. No way she can hear me from down here." I  
reply.

 

"They can hear you across the Potomac. What do you want?"

 

"I found a great solution to your problem."

 

"I have a problem?"

 

"Yes, it's the `what am I going to do without Josh for  
several weeks' problem."

 

"That's a problem? I thought your Mom and I would shop and play  
with A.J."

 

"Nice."

 

"We've already discussed this. A.J. has her appointment with the  
pulmonary specialist the first week you're gone. We can't miss  
that. They might take her off the monitor."

 

"Come meet me after that." See, I can be reasonable.

 

"She's at an increased risk for infection. She doesn't need  
to be traipsing all over the country."

 

"She's doing great and I'm not suggesting we pass her down  
the book signing line. I need you with me, Donna. I need you both with  
me. Please come."

 

"We could come for awhile…" she can't resist it when I tell  
her I need her.

 

"It will be like a family vacation."

 

"A Vacation in twelve different cities?"

 

"We start in New York. You love New York. Think of the shoe shops  
alone."

 

 

"Good Morning, today is Friday, November 17th, this is the Today  
Show and I'm Matt Lauer. This morning we have former Chief of Staff  
Joshua Lyman with us to talk about his new book detailing the first  
Presidential campaign of Josiah Bartlet. Welcome Josh."

 

"Thanks, Matt. It's nice to be here."

 

"What inspired you to write about your first campaign with President  
Bartlet?"

 

"My wife. She started to talk about the campaign experience when the  
book offer came through. It was her first campaign and I had become a  
little…jaded by that time. Anyway, when she started making note  
cards about title chapters and remembering specific stories, she made   
me  
want to tell the whole story."

 

"Your wife was your assistant at that time. How long did you work  
together before you realized there was something special between  
you?"

 

"About 5 minutes…but it was years before either of us  
acknowledged it. She was a member of the CODEL in Gaza that was  
attacked. She was critically injured and when I found out I flew to  
Germany with the clothes on my back to be with her. That's when I  
realized I couldn't live without her. That's when it all started  
for us."

 

"That sounds like quite a story. Maybe you should write your next  
book about that."

 

"I don't think so. Donna plays a big enough role in this one. If  
I give her anymore credit her head will swell and there's only room  
for one gigantic ego in the family. Donna is actually representative of  
why this campaign beat all the odds and made Josiah Bartlet President.  
She heard then Governor Bartlet speak and was inspired; so inspired   
that  
she packed her belongings in a broken down Ford and drove by herself   
to  
New Hampshire to volunteer for him. She hired herself as my assistant  
and became an integral part of the campaign."

 

"She hired herself? How does one hire oneself?"

 

"It's a long story but you can read all about it in the book.  
She tried to edit it out, but I made sure every detail was  
included."

 

"Looking at the Presidential field for the next election, which  
candidate would you put your money on?"

 

"I wouldn't throw my money away like that, Matt."

 

"Are you saying that the field is too unpredictable, or that you  
don't think anyone currently being talked about will be the next  
President?"

 

"Both. Presidential politics turns on a dime. That being said, it is  
my sincere hope that we see someone worthy of carrying on President  
Bartlet's legacy step up to the plate before long."

 

"Do you think such a person exists anymore in a world of 24 hour  
news cycle and hugely expensive campaigns? Are there people with that

kind of integrity still around?"

 

"They are not as much a part of the political landscape as I would  
like, but they certainly exist. Is there corruption and greed? Sure. But  
every day I went to work I was surrounded by people who wanted to   
serve,  
who wanted to make our country a better place, and that attitude  
emanated from the top; from President Bartlet himself. I don't think  
he's the last one out there, but they're without doubt on the  
endangered species list."

 

"One last thing, before we go. I understand you're a new Dad.  
How do you like Fatherhood?"

 

"Our daughter came a lot earlier than expected and that was  
stressful, but she's doing beautifully, up to 6 pounds now, and they  
just took her off the apnea monitor. She's absolutely amazing. I  
love being a Dad and it makes me grateful for all that President Bartlet  
has done to make her world better."

 

"Maybe one day she'll be the one running for high office?"

 

"Well she seems to take after her Mother, so no doubt she'd be a  
good President. We'll just have to wait and see."

 

"Josh Lyman, thanks for coming by this morning."

 

"Thanks for having me."

 

"The book is "Against all Odds" by former Chief of Staff  
Joshua Lyman. The time is 8:27 and we'll be right back after  
this."

 

"We're out." Shouts a member of the tech crew. I take off my  
clip mike and walk back to the green room where my family is waiting for  
me. A.J. is in her carrier sound asleep. Donna looks up when I walk in.

 

"So on a scale of 1 to 10…11 right?"

 

"I don't think you have to worry about Russell or Hoynes  
renewing their offers to make you campaign director."

 

"I don't want to be a campaign director, and I certainly  
don't want to be campaign director for either of those clowns."

 

"Yeah, and I'm saying that won't be a problem for you after  
those comments. Ever hear of tact, Joshua? Suppose by some miracle   
one  
of the other four declared candidates makes some inroads and you   
want to  
work their campaign. You've just stated on national television that  
they're not worthy of following in President Bartlet's  
footsteps."

 

"I already picked my guy, Donna. Don't worry. Now I think I may  
have sold a couple books just now, so how about I buy you and A.J.   
some  
new shoes?"

 

"She doesn't need shoes, Josh. She can't walk."

 

"You're just trying to get more for yourself. I'm getting  
you both new shoes, then we're going to the Sports store I scoped  
out down the street and I'm buying A.J. a Met's uniform.  
They've got the greatest baby stuff in there."

 

"She's still pretty small, Josh. It probably won't fit her  
yet."

 

"She's growing like crazy. She'll grow into them in no  
time."

 

"Yeah, I guess she will. Then I get to stop at Baby Gap and get her  
real clothes, after which you will buy us lunch." She bargains. I  
love it when she bargains with me.

 

"One outfit at Baby Gap and the Publisher buys us lunch." I  
shoot back.

 

"One outfit and some hair accessories and the publisher buys us  
lunch with dessert."

 

"Donna, she has like 20 strands of hair. Where are you going to put  
hair accessories?"

 

"That's my problem. Deal?"

 

"Deal."

Chapter 22

 

I've got two hours before I have to leave for the book signing in  
Huston. This tour can not be over soon enough for me. Donna and A.J.   
are  
already home and I've got 3 days in California left after this. I  
ring the doorbell and wait.

 

A little girl with long brown hair opens the door.

 

"Daddy, it's a stranger!" she shouts keeping a wary eye on  
me.

 

"Miranda, you're not supposed to- Josh? What brings you way out  
here?"

 

"A book tour and a Congressman. I hope this isn't an  
inconvenient time. They've got me scheduled pretty tight on this leg  
of the trip."

 

"Come on in. Helen's doing some last minute shopping and the  
kids and I are hanging out. I could have probably saved you the trouble  
though. The D triple C has been here twice. I'm not running for  
Congress again."

 

"I got that after our last conversation. Saw you on Hard Ball with  
Chris Wick. Congratulations on getting the bill through."

 

"Chris is a good guy. He told me you went to school together?"

 

"Yeah. It seems like a lifetime ago. He's come a long way in  
Congress. He's starting to find his own agenda and his own voice.  
It's fun to watch."

 

"These are my kids, Peter and Miranda. This is Josh Lyman."

 

"Hey guys. Ready for Christmas?" Both kids get excited at the  
mere mention of the word `Christmas'.

 

"Just 5 days left before Santa comes. He's going to bring me a  
new bike." Miranda rambles. She is a doll. Peter just rolls his  
eyes.

 

"Okay, you two, give Josh and I a couple minutes to talk and then  
we'll finish our game." Miranda looks like she's going to  
protest, then reconsiders given who may be watching from the North   
Pole.  
Peter looks at his watch in order to keep track of the time and walks  
out without a word.

 

"Cute kids." I comment.

 

"I heard your little girl is doing well. That must have been quite a  
scare."

 

"You're not kidding. She's growing like crazy and she  
doesn't seem to be having any long term problems from her early  
arrival. She and Donna have been able to travel with me for most of the  
tour, but they're home now getting ready for the Holidays."

 

"It's great to have family to come home to. Hey, the book was  
good. I enjoyed reading it."

 

"Thanks. Donna and I enjoyed working on it. It brought back a lot of  
great memories."

 

"So, what's this really about, Josh?"

 

"It's kind of about the book."

 

"You want help promoting the book?"

 

"No, I want some material for a new one."

 

"I'm not following you."

 

"I think you should run for President."

 

"President of what?" I chuckle.

 

"President of the United States…of America." I add for good  
measure. Now he chuckles.

 

"Josh, seriously, if this is about a Congressional run…"

 

"I've talked to Mandy Hampton Stiers about running your  
campaign. She hasn't committed to it yet, but she's agreed to  
meet with you and talk about it. I can help you get started with a  
Presidential exploratory committee and I've got 6 party members  
ready to step up with fundraising. All they need is the `go  
ahead' from you."

 

"Oh my God, you're serious!"

 

"My wife would tell you there's nothing I take more seriously  
than a Presidential campaign."

 

"Josh, I'm a 3 term Congressman, a retiring 3 term  
Congressman-"

 

"-who has a solid record on social issues, a reputation for  
integrity, and charisma that comes across well on television and in  
person. So unless you've got a body buried in the basement,  
you're a pretty good candidate for President."

 

"Pretty good?"

 

"Nobody's perfect, even Jed Bartlet needed a little help. We  
made a good start in the Bartlet administration, Congressman, but  
there's still more work to be done, and it's not going to get  
done with Russell or Hoynes. Hell, they won't even get the chance  
going up against Vinnick. You need to run for President."

 

"I can't just- I promised my wife and my kids I wouldn't be  
running for Congress again."

 

"You wouldn't be running for Congress again."

 

"Josh…"

 

"You don't have to decide today. The filing deadline is still a  
week away."

 

"A week, huh? Well that gives me plenty of time…You're  
really serious?"

 

"This is my cell phone number. I leave for California after the book  
thing this afternoon. I've got a few days there before I get to go  
home, so the cell will be the best way to reach me if you think of any  
questions." I've planted the seed, so I get up to leave.  
"Thanks for your time, Congressman. Have a nice Holiday."

 

"Yeah…okay…thanks for taking the time to stop by." He  
walks me to the door and shakes my hand with a dazed expression on   
his  
face. Oh, yeah, he's thinking about it…

 

 

That evening, in the home of Matt and Helen Santos. Matt's POV:

 

"You've been holed up in here for hours. Wrapping my Christmas  
presents?" Helen teases as she sits in my lap and takes Josh  
Lyman's book out of my hands.

 

"I wrapped both of them last week." I tease back.

 

"BOTH of them. You had better be kidding mister. I have been a VERY  
good girl this year. Miranda said someone stopped by while I was gone  
this afternoon?"

 

"Josh Lyman came over. He was in town for his book thing." I  
indicate the book on my desk.

 

"He wasn't trying to talk you into another Congressional run,  
was he?"

 

"Nope, I swear he wasn't interested in talking about the  
Congressional seat at all." I smirk.

 

"Then what? No offense, honey, but a man like Josh Lyman doesn't  
just drop by for a cup of wassail."

 

"He's actually Jewish, Helen."

 

"Matt…"

 

"He wanted me to consider a different kind of political  
position."

 

"A political appointment? You have a year left to serve."

 

"He's thinking more of when my term expires."

 

"Well, that's interesting. What kind of position?"

 

"A Federal position."

 

"But that would mean a move to D.C. wouldn't it?"

 

"Don't worry, housing is included in the deal." I laugh out  
loud and Helen looks at me like I broke into the Eggnog already.

 

"He wants me to run for President."

 

"Of what?"

 

"The United States…of America." Now Helen laughs out loud.  
Why is it that it was okay when I laughed at Josh for suggesting it but  
when Helen laughed I was offended.

 

"Josh Lyman, who has run two successful Presidential campaigns,  
seems to think I'm qualified to run." I tell her.

 

"Matt, are you seriously thinking about this?" she sounds so  
incredulous. That's flattering.

 

"He came all the way here to talk to me about it. It seems the least  
I can do is consider it." I open his book again and page through the  
campaign pictures.

 

"I thought he was here for the book tour."

 

"The point is he went out of his way to stop here and talk to me  
about it. He was serious too; has a campaign manager, exploratory  
committee, and fundraisers all set to go."

 

"I thought we agreed you weren't going to run again."

 

"Technically, we agreed I wouldn't run for Congress again."  
I point out and after a moment of stunned silence she gets up and   
leaves  
the room.

 

"Well, that was a perfect politician's answer, Matt. Maybe Josh  
Lyman is right on the money with you." Ouch…

Chapter 23

 

"This is the way you treat a friend who has twice now let you stay  
with him for free?" Sam is complaining…again.

 

"I gave you an autographed copy of my best selling book, didn't  
I? Even included you in the dedication?" I argue.

 

"Yes, but then you harp on me for two hours straight about quitting  
my job and working for Santos, who hasn't even agreed to run by the  
way."

 

"He will."

 

"Right. Tell you what. When you get Matt Santos to agree to run for  
President, I will quit my job, once again, for a candidate you have  
deemed worthy of my time and skills."

 

"Deal." Sam is nothing if not a man of his word. Ever since I  
arrived yesterday, I have been talking up Santos and while Sam quickly  
acknowledged he had done great work as a Congressman, he was   
more than a  
little unsure about his Presidential prospects.

 

I go to the fridge to get another beer while Sam looks through the  
latest pictures of A.J. The doorbell rings and Sam gets up to get it  
while I get my laptop out to email Donna about my many admiring fans at

the book signing that day.

 

"Josh, it's for you." Sam calls and I walk out to join him  
and see none other than Congressman Santos in the foyer.

 

"Hello Congressman. This is Sam Seaborn. He's been gracious  
enough to let me stay with him while I'm in town for the tour. Come  
on in. We were just having a post signing beer. Would you like one?"

 

"Sure. Nice to meet you Sam. You did a lot of great work for the  
President."

 

"Thank you Congressman." Sam gives me a look as he goes to get  
Matt a beer and all three of us wander back to his balcony.

 

"Pretty nice place you got here." Santos remarks.

 

"It's amazing what you can afford once you give up a Government  
salary." Sam quips.

 

"Aren't you going to ask what brings me out here, Josh?"

 

"Nope, but I'm sure Sam would love to hear about it.  
Wouldn't you Sam?"

 

"Not really, no. We could just enjoy our beers and bitch about  
Washington. Doesn't that sound nice?"

 

"Am I missing something here?" Santos asks looking from me to  
Sam and back.

 

"No, Sam is just contemplating a career change, aren't you  
Sam."

 

"God, I hope not. You in town for a fundraiser or something,  
Congressman?" Sam asks hopefully.

 

"No, I came to follow up on a conversation Josh started in Houston.  
Although I should preface this by asking what you think the odds are of  
electing a divorced candidate, because Helen isn't speaking to me  
right now."

 

"She isn't thrilled with the idea, I take it?" I ask  
wincing.

 

"That would be an understatement. Plus I think `Josh' is now  
a four letter word in our home."

 

Sam spits out his beer laughing. "My career is looking up." He  
smiles at me.

 

"One thing at a time." I respond. "So are you here to say  
you're not interested or are you here to say you need help  
convincing your wife?"

 

"I'm interested, but besides finding a way to get Helen on  
board, I have a couple conditions." Matthew takes another swig of  
beer.

 

"Which are?"

 

"1) If I'm in this, you're in this with me."

 

"I'd be happy to consult; had planned on it actually."

 

"No, no consulting; running the campaign." Sam spit out his beer  
again.

 

"What?" Santos is getting agitated.

 

"Nothing. Josh is just contemplating a career change, right  
Josh?" Sam is enjoying this way too much.

 

"What are the other conditions?"

 

"2) Everything gets run by me. I'm not going to be some front  
man."

 

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

 

"3) I'm not changing my opinions for popular appeal. The voters  
take me as I am or they don't take me at all."

 

"That's why I want you to run. Anything else?"

 

"If Helen doesn't let me back in the house, I get a room in this  
place."

 

"Being the brilliant politician that I am, not to mention a married  
man, I actually have a plan for bringing Helen on board." I brag.

 

"Would this involve psychotropic drugs of some kind?" He asks  
taking another drink and smirking.

 

"Close. My wife Donnatella." I grab my cell phone and start  
dialing.

 

"What about my first condition?" Matt asks again.

 

"Yeah, Josh, what about his first condition?" Sam echoes.

 

"Matt Santos, I'd like you to meet your speech writer and senior  
political advisor, Sam Seaborn." I tell them before returning my  
attention to the cell phone. "Hey baby, how are you and A.J.  
doing?...Really?... That's great…Hey, you know how you said you  
wanted me to make a decision about what I was going to do after the   
book tour?..." I grin at the stupified expressions on the faces of Matt  
and Sam.

Chapter 24

 

I look around the conference table at the group that I've assembled  
as we wait for the Santos family to arrive; Mandy, and her husband  
Richard, Sam, Joey Lucas and Kenny, and of course, Donna. A.J. is  
sleeping in the bedroom portion of the suite with the monitor on.  
We're meeting in California as a convenience to Joey and Sam, who  
has yet to quit his job as promised. I think the wuss is waiting to see  
if we can make this work first. It's also an incentive for the  
Santos family to sell this as a vacation to their kids. Plus, the  
weather in D.C. is filthy this time of year.

 

I don't know exactly what Donna said to Helen when she visited with  
her after New Year's. Donna maintains it was a meeting of the  
sisterhood and that as such it remains sacred. Whatever it was, Helen  
has been very involved in our plans ever since then. I get the feeling  
that she's humoring us with this run more than anything else. Every  
once in a while I catch her shaking her head like she can't believe  
we're really going to do this.

 

Donna answers the door when we hear knocking. She is greeted with   
hugs  
by the entire Santos clan; the daughter, Miranda, has made a picture for

her and the boy, Peter, is regaling her with stories of his bravery on  
one of the Disney coasters yesterday. I get a handshake…from  
Matt…and icy eyes from everyone else.

 

"Where's baby A.J.?" asks Miranda. Donna told me Miranda and  
Helen both fell in love with A.J. when they met after New Years.

 

"She's sleeping right now, but she should be up soon." Donna  
tells us. "You remember my cousin Anna? She thought you might like  
to go swimming with her until A.J. wakes up. What do you think about  
that?"

 

"Okay, but you'll tell me as soon as she wakes up?" Miranda  
pleads.

 

"Sure. Anna has a cell phone and I'll call her on it as soon as  
A.J. gets up. You and Peter can change in here." She directs them  
into a second bedroom/bathroom area and Helen hands them their  
swimsuits. Apparently she and Donna have this all orchestrated already.  
Donna is a planner. After all, she had the whole campaign thing worked  
out before I got home from California.

 

*Flashback*

 

"Donna? Where are you? Your loving husband is home from his weary  
travels."

 

"Worn out from 4 star hotels, sunshine, and mobs of fans are  
you?" she asks dryly as she descends the stairs with my baby girl in  
her arms.

 

"It's brutal out there." I tell her while I kiss her  
senseless and push her back against the wall.

 

"Joshua, I'm holding our child."

 

"I know she looks great." I take a break from kissing Donna to  
plant a kiss on A.J.'s forehead. "Hi, baby girl. Are you tired?  
You look tired. Should Mommy and Daddy tuck you in for a nap?" I go  
back to kissing Donna.

 

"Josh! She doesn't go to bed for 3 more hours. I can't  
believe you don't want to hold her! You haven't held her for  
seven days."

 

"Of course I want to hold her." I take A.J. from Donna to prove  
the validity of my words. "I was just hoping to…hold you  
first." Donna just looks at me. "Maybe not. A.J. come up with  
Daddy and I'll tell you all about why the Met's are going to  
trounce the stupid San Diego Padres this year while I change clothes. I  
scouted them out while I was there Abigail Joan, and I'm telling you  
they're weak."

 

A few minutes later Donna comes in and joins us on the bed. I'm  
playing peek-a-boo with A.J. and delighting in the faces she's  
making for me.

 

"She's gotten so big? What have you been feeding her woman?  
Look! She's grabbing her toes!"

 

"Yes, she is quite talented. She ought to be able to get her foot in  
her mouth just like her Father in no time." Donna says, but  
she's smiling so I figure I'm not in for it at this point.

 

"It was his first condition, Donna. He has to run and he insists I  
do this with him. What was I supposed to do?"

 

"At least you called me first and pretended to discuss it before you  
took the job."

 

"See. I did good this time." I beam and A.J. grabs my finger.  
"A.J. thinks so too. Don't you sweetheart?"

 

"I'm meeting Helen in Houston on January 3rd. I promised her the  
unadulterated version of a Presidential campaign."

 

"She could just read my book." I suggest. I just got home and I  
don't want Donna leaving right away.

 

"She has. That's what's made her nervous."

 

"Shit. Hoist on my own petard." I grimace as I realize the  
language I used in front of A.J. "Sorry, honey, Daddy meant, shoot,  
not shit." Donna laughs.

 

"When do you need to be out there again?" Donna asks me.

"We could all go out on the 3rd. We're going to need to start  
organizing that week anyway."

 

"I really think you'd better make yourself scarce at the Santos  
house for awhile, darling. Let me go first, see if I can bring Helen  
around. Otherwise, the rest of this is moot."

 

"You really think she can stop her husband from running for  
President?"

 

"Of course she can. The handle that rocks the cradle… Anyway,  
give me a day or two out there then you can make plans for the 5th. Is  
Mandy still on board if she has to answer to you?"

 

"What kind of question is that?"

 

"A realistic one. Is she?"

 

"Yes, and she's bringing her husband with her. He's got a  
good reputation for working media."

 

"Good."

 

"Good? That's all you've got to say about that? You  
don't have a problem with me working with Mandy?"

 

"Of course not, Josh, and Mandy is good at what she does. Besides,  
A.J. and I will be there to make sure there's no blood shed."

 

"You will huh?"

 

"It's like this; Santos isn't running without you, and you  
aren't running this without me and I don't go anywhere without  
A.J."

 

"And I'm sure you've figured out how we're going to  
manage all this?"

 

"As a matter of fact, I have. Remember my cousin Anna?"

 

"A little. She started at Madison last fall didn't she?"

"Yes, but it hasn't been going very well. My Aunt Gennie says  
she's not interested in school and is already on academic probation.  
Anna wants to take some time to figure out what she wants to do and we  
need someone who can travel with us and keep an eye on A.J."

 

"Academic probation, Donna?"

 

"Leave it to you to focus on that part. She's bright and  
capable, Joshua. She just lacks direction and focus. Maybe a national  
political campaign would be a good place for her to start over?"

 

"Right. Please tell me there's no freeriding boyfriend in this  
picture or I'm gonna get queasy."

 

"No boyfriend. No drugs, I can't vouch for NO alcohol, but  
it's never been an issue. She's really good with kids and I  
trust her."

 

"Then it sounds like we should hire her to come with us."

 

"I already did. She's going out with me on the 3rd."

 

"Of course you did. Do you need me for any of the preparation on  
this?"

 

"No, that's my job. You do the big picture stuff and I do the  
details. It's why we're a great team."

 

"Yeah it is." I lean over our daughter and kiss her a couple  
times. "Are you sure Abigail doesn't look tired to you?"

 

She laughs and scoops Abigail into her arms. "Let's get you and  
your daughter a late night snack. Then you can give her a bath while I  
take a bath of my own. We'll both tuck her in and then you can tuck  
me in." She takes my hand and leads me from the room. It's great  
to be home.

 

*Present day*

 

Introductions are made all around and I start outlining what we need to  
get done in the next few weeks. Mandy gives us some preliminary ideas   
on  
how and where he should announce. It seems like everyone is talking at  
once, but I notice Helen slip something to Donna who nods and passes   
it  
to Mandy. She leans over and asks Donna a question, then Donna   
looks at  
Helen. They pow-wow for a minute and all of them smile.

 

"Something you'd like to share with the class, Donnatella?"  
I think it's time I establish some authority with this group.

 

"No, just going over Helen's remarks with Mandy." She tells  
us and all three of them smile innocently at us.

 

"Maybe that's something you and I can go over later." I  
point out.

 

"No need. I already ran it past Mandy. Helen has some policy issues  
that she wants to make sure are represented in her remarks."

 

"Policy issues will be directed from me, not Mandy."

 

"Congressman Santos' issues sure, but as Deputy campaign  
director, I surely have the authority to approve Mrs. Santos'  
remarks." Mandy pipes in. Oh, God no. The 3 of them have already  
joined forces; like some sort of political coven.

 

"I'm not sure we're at a point where Mrs. Santos needs to be  
issuing any kind of policy statements." I am trying to say with my  
eyes what I can't say with my mouth right now; unless I'm  
prepared to piss off Helen Santos, which I'm not. And Donna knows  
it.

 

"Yes, well you know when I called you from Houston and said Helen  
was 100% behind this campaign? Well, I may have been overstating it a  
bit." Oh. My. God. "She had a few conditions of her own." I  
look over at Matt who shrugs like this is news to him.

 

"And they would be?"

 

"Well there were a few, and Helen feel free to correct me if I get  
any of the details wrong." She smiles at Helen who smiles back.  
"1) She wants the freedom to pursue her own policy agenda, working  
in conjunction with the Presidential campaign of course, 2) The children  
are not used in any photos or campaign materials without her giving  
express permission beforehand, 3) She works directly with me during   
the  
campaign. Was there anything else Helen?"

 

"No, you covered it beautifully Donna." Helen finally looks at  
me and I see something in her eyes that reminds me of Donna when  
she's made up her mind about something. I look over at Mandy and see  
that she has her tongue in her cheek; literally. I can tell all the eyes  
around the table are waiting for my reaction.

 

"That certainly is something that would have been good to know  
before we set up this meeting Donna."

 

"Oh, I'm sorry, Josh. I didn't think it was a big deal; just  
some of those pesky details you expect me to take care of." Point,  
set, and match.

 

"Fortunately, those are all things we can live with." I assure  
them as if they were my own ideas. See, that's leadership. However,  
out of the corner of my eye I see Donna squeezing Helen's arm. This  
is going to be nothing like the Bartlet campaigns.

Chapter 25

A/N: I had to play with the timeline a little bit with this one. Pretend  
it's all AU if that helps…

 

 

"Did you fall?"

 

"Hey Toby." I was waiting for this call.

 

"Did you fall and hit your head on something hard?"

 

"You use that line a lot. You really should develop a new one. Know  
any good writers who could help you out?"

 

"I thought I did. Turns out he quit his job in a successful law firm  
to work for Matt Santos. Can you believe that? What kind of  
idiotic-"

 

"Hold on Toby. I wanted to ask you to join us, but I didn't  
think you'd leave the White House."

 

"Damn right I wouldn't; especially not for Santos. You think  
this is because I'm feeling left out? I'm going to be the only  
one of you employed in three months."

 

"Nice. I didn't ask for your advice, Toby. I didn't ask for  
your permission. I've been calling my own shots for quite some  
time."

 

"Yeah, I guess that's the nice part about quitting the White  
House. You get a lot of free time to write books and play with  
campaigns."

 

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Toby is Toby, but this is off  
the charts even for him.

 

"CJ and I, and a handful of kids are trying to finish the job you  
started. That's what the hell is wrong with me. I hardly get to see  
my own kids. You get to see yours today?"

 

"We all have choices, Toby, I'm sorry to hear you're not  
happy with yours." I am so angry that I'm shaking as I shut my  
cell phone. I take two deep breathes before I feel Donna's hand on  
my back.

 

"Let me guess. Toby has philosophical differences with your choice  
for a Presidential candidate."

 

"Donna, your gift for understatement is exceptional." I lean  
back into her touch. It's been a stressful day with the announcement  
and everything. Things went well, but still, there's always a  
million things that could go wrong.

 

"How's everything playing on the media?" I ask her trying to  
deflect the conversation.

 

"Great, Richard is on it. Why don't you turn it off for awhile?  
Come play with us."

 

"Donna…"

 

"Joshua…you've got a great staff in place. You promised  
you'd delegate. Or is it Toby's phone call that's got you  
wound up?"

 

"I thought he understood, Donna. Why I left, I mean."

 

"I think down deep he does. He's just feeling frustrated and  
upset by the President's health, I'm guessing." The  
President had a serious MS attack on his way to the summit in China.  
It's hit everybody hard. I've been on the phone with Dr. B. and  
Charlie a lot in the past few weeks.

 

"Come play with us." She asks again and pulls on my hand.

 

"Yeah, okay." I follow her, she never steers me wrong.

 

 

"You're a sore loser, Joshua."

 

"The kid cheated Donna. Her Father is going to be the leader of the  
free world, she shouldn't be encouraged in her cheating." I  
shake my finger at Miranda Santos for good measure. When Donna   
said  
`come play with us' I thought she was referring to her and A.J.  
not her and the Santos kids. Donna apparently agreed to watch them   
while  
their parents had a quiet dinner alone.

 

"Next time, Miranda Santos, it's regular Trivial Pursuit for  
you. No more of this Disney version stuff. Is it time for bed yet,  
Donna?" God, two hours playing this game and the only questions I  
got right were about Winnie-the-Pooh, and that was only thanks to A.J.

 

"We get a snack first." announced Peter.

 

"How about some microwave popcorn?" I suggest. Quick and easy,  
my kind of snack.

 

"Can we have ice cream, Donna?" Peter doesn't even  
acknowledge me.

 

"Sure, I can get some ice cream for you. Would you like some too,  
Miranda?" she nods excitedly. "Okay, Josh, you take A.J. and  
I'll get the ice cream."

 

"I can get the-" please don't leave me alone with two kids  
that hate me. She's gone already. Damn she can move fast. Must be  
from all the years chasing me through the West Wing.

 

I pull my legs up so I can balance A.J. on them while I sit on the floor  
and lean back against the couch. Miranda hesitantly gets up on the   
couch  
for a better vantage point of the baby and starts making faces which  
cracks up my daughter.

 

"Hey, she likes that Miranda. Do that again?" Miranda obliges  
and sends A.J. into a fit of giggles. This gets Peter in the competitive  
mode.

 

"I can make her laugh too." Now Peter jumps up on the couch and  
starts his own clown faces. Soon we're all laughing.

 

"When is she gonna talk and stuff?" Peter asks.

 

"According to the book I have about babies they start saying a  
couple words around 7 or 8 months and really get talking after their  
first Birthday."

 

"How old is baby A.J.?" Miranda asks.

 

"Well she was born on October 18th, and today is March 24, so that  
would make her…" I look over at Peter as I trail off.

 

"Five months?" he answers tentatively. I nod. "There's a  
book that tells you all that stuff about babies?"

 

"There are lots of books that teach you about babies. Go grab my  
backpack. My book is in the first zippered section." He follows my  
directions and comes back with the book. I help him find the section for  
`your five month old'.

 

"It says your baby will start to turn over at this stage. Turn what  
over?"

 

"Turn themselves over. A.J. is working on it, but she doesn't  
have it yet. Watch." I place A.J. on her back on the carpet then I  
move over to her side shaking her Pooh Bear to get her attention. She  
starts reaching for it and starts to flip over a bit, but her shoulder  
gets caught underneath her and she can't get it out from under her.

 

"Oh, she's so close!" Peter exclaims. "Come on  
A.J.!"

 

"Come get your Pooh Bear A.J." Miranda chimes in. Now all three  
of us are lying on the floor coaxing A.J. to roll over. That's how  
Donna finds us when she returns with the ice cream.

 

"Look Donna, she's doing it. She's rolling over."  
Miranda runs to her. "Well almost. We're teaching her."

 

"Yes, you are. Here's your ice cream."

 

"Can A.J. have some?"

 

"She doesn't really eat ice cream yet Miranda but we can give  
her a little taste." Donna tells her. The kids watch entranced while  
Donna places a little bite of ice cream between A.J.'s lips. Her  
eyes get wide and she smacks her lips in glee! We all laugh.

 

"She likes it a lot." Peter notes. "Hey I got an idea. Put  
her on the floor again, Josh. Please?" he adds when I look at him  
strangely.

 

I put A.J. back on the floor. Peter takes his bowl of ice cream,  
careful to show it to A.J., and he moves it just out of her reach at her  
side. She immediately starts reaching for it. She rocks back and forth a  
few times, and before our astonished eyes she turns completely over.

 

"Holy cow, she did it! Great job Peter!" I give him a high five  
and exchange grins with Donna.

 

"Can she have another taste now?" he asks.

 

"My brilliant baby can have all the ice cream she wants." I pick  
her up again and Donna gives me the look. "Or maybe just a taste  
would be good."

 

"Do it again, Josh. I want her to do it again." Miranda pleads.

 

"Yeah, she's got to practice." I agree and look over at  
Donna. Okay, so this isn't going to be anything like the Bartlet  
campaign, but I think it might be just as fun.


	6. Priorities chapters 26-30

Chapter 26

 

"I'm not saying that." The Congressman insists as he tosses  
the speech on the table and leaves.

 

I resist the urge to bang my head against the table. Sam has constructed  
a great speech for New Hampshire; a beautiful, reasoned, relatively  
innocuous speech and the Congressman has gone off text at every single  
opportunity. I try to remind myself that his integrity and willingness  
to say what he truly believes, damn the consequences, was a big part of  
why I encouraged him to run. I pick up the phone and call the one person  
who will understand what I'm feeling right now.

 

"Leo McGarry."

 

"Hey Boss."

 

"Nice sound bite, Josh; longer school year and eliminating teacher  
tenure? Can't you put a muzzle on your guy?" he's laughing  
at me.

 

"It was a choice between putting it on him or Helen. I chose Helen,  
and why are you laughing?"

 

"Do you remember a certain speech in Nashua where Governor Bartlet  
was asked about the New England Dairy Farming Compact?"

 

"I seem to have a vague recollection…"

 

"Every single one of his advisors, well besides Toby, advised him to  
alter his answer on the subject. He listened, nodded, took it all in and  
then did what he wanted to in a room crowded with voters and  
reporters."

 

"Gave you a bit of a migraine, did he?"

 

"Yeah, but we did gain a valuable member of our eventually winning  
campaign staff, who in turn brought another valuable member of the team  
to the table. We also got a couple decent editorials if I recall  
correctly."

 

"So the lesson is: don't try to change the man you recruited for  
his principles in the first place?"

 

"Very good, young grasshopper. How's Abigail Joan? I haven't  
gotten my weekly email update from Donna yet."

 

"Great. She loves campaigning."

 

"Look at her parentage. How could she be otherwise? Relax, Josh,  
Santos is going to rise or fall on what he believes. That's how it  
should be. You've put together a great team and you're giving  
him good advice."

 

"I don't suppose the President would like to stop my and visit  
our New Hampshire headquarters on the way to his farm would he?"

 

"He's determined to stay neutral until a nominee is picked."

 

"That's what I thought. Thanks for the advice, boss. I'll  
send you some more pictures from the trail." I hang up as Mandy  
walks in.

 

"Everything set for Mrs. Santos' thing?" I ask her.

 

"I told you I had it covered, Josh. When are you going to learn to  
trust me?"

 

"It's not that I don't trust you, Mandy. I don't trust  
anybody."

 

"Donna's on it too." She reminds me and I wince.

 

"That's just different. Remind them that we don't have to  
hit anyone over the head with pro-choice rhetoric here. Mrs. Santos  
simply needs to connect with the voters and turn on that charm of  
hers." I have learned that Helen Santos is a formidable weapon when  
given the right opportunity. Donna seems to find plenty of `right  
opportunities' for her and combined with Mandy's eye for  
pageantry, Helen Santos looks a lot more like the First Lady than anyone  
else out there. Not that she's all formal and unapproachable; just  
the opposite. Mandy interrupts my train of thought.

 

"We added a couple stops to the schedule… Thought we'd try  
to grab a little free media and stir things up a bit."

 

"Excuse me?"

 

"Richard needs more money for media buys if we're going to make  
a decent showing here, Josh. Fundraising has slowed to a trickle. We  
just need a little jump start."

 

"Mandy…"

 

"She just left the new childbirth center at St. Joseph Hospital  
about 20 minutes ago. That went very well according to Donna. Although  
she did mention I should give you a heads up about A.J."

 

"What about A.J. Mandy?" My heart stops for a second, but then I  
realize that if there was anything wrong, Donna would have called me  
herself, and Mandy's attitude was way too relaxed to be imparting  
serious news about my daughter.

 

"She's fine Josh." Mandy assure me, correctly reading my  
body language. "There was a really cute photo op, that's  
all."

 

"A photo op with my daughter?"

 

"Donna was there. Helen was talking about the importance of  
neo-natal health care and she mentioned the excellent care that was  
available to A.J. stating that the level of care A.J. received should be  
available to every baby born in the U.S. regardless of where they live  
or how much their parents make." I drop my head to the table again.

 

"You and Donna didn't think I should get a heads up about this  
beforehand?"

 

"Donna said it was just a small detail and we didn't need to  
bother you with it." I just groan.

 

"Do we need to go back to the decision tree, Mandy? Make a flow  
chart of some kind for you two?"

 

"Maybe. I mean Donna's title is senior advisor to the Santos  
campaign, so it's hard to delineate exactly. And can I just ask why  
it's always me you yell at and never her? Tell me it's only  
because you don't want to lose sexual favors with your wife."

 

"Of course I don't want to lose sexual favors with my wife.  
They're very good sexual favors Mandy and with the campaign going  
on, they're not favors I get very often to begin with these  
days!" Congressman Santos coughs from behind me. "Why does every  
female in this campaign take such delight in baiting me?" I ask no  
one in particular.

 

"It's called the Sisterhood, Josh. You should know better than  
to mess with it." Mandy answers as Santos laughs. "But if  
you're going to be such a stickler for getting every piece of  
information beforehand, you should know that Helen Santos should have  
arrived at the Planned Parenthood Center by now and is taking  
questions." She flips on the T.V. searching for her beloved  
`free media' as I rapidly hit Donna on speed dial. It goes to  
voice mail.

 

There is a brief sound bite of Helen answering a question about what her  
husband would do as President about abortion, which she sidesteps  
neatly. thank you Donna, before there is a disruption of some kind. I  
recognize Secret Service and start to dial Donna again, but then I see  
the smiling face of Abigail Bartlet on the screen.

 

She doesn't interrupt Helen, but walks right up to Donna and A.J.,  
taking the baby from Donna and smiling at the people around them. I  
watch with Mandy and Matt as more and more attention starts to shift to  
the First Lady…and my daughter. Finally a question gets fired at  
Helen about Abby.

 

"Is the First Lady campaigning with you today, Mrs. Santos?"

 

"No, absolutely not. My understanding is that Dr. Bartlet can't  
pass up an opportunity to see her namesake; Abigail Lyman." The  
cameras pan over to where Dr. Bartlet is indeed cuddling with our  
daughter and a reporter shouts a question directly to her.

 

"Does the President know you're out here with Mrs. Santos,  
Ma'am?"

 

"If the President knew I was coming to see little A.J. he would have  
barged in by now and taken her away from me. We're both pretty  
smitten with her." She deflects with the practiced ease of a long  
time politician's wife.

 

"Does this mean the President is pulling for Santos?" another  
asks.

 

"The President is staying neutral until a nominee is chosen. I am  
glad to see that Helen Santos is bringing attention to the very  
important issues that effect women in this country, however. She and her  
husband make a formidable team." Donna smiles and leads Dr. B.  
inside the building and Helen answers a couple more questions before  
joining them. Richard comes careening into the room.

 

"Are you watching- Did you see- Holy Shit! The phones are going to  
be ringing off the hook. I'm getting clips for issues ads right  
away." He wheezes out. Mandy is already on the phone bringing in  
more volunteers to man the phones.

 

"Congressmen, let's get you out there." I stand up and pull  
on my jacket.

 

"Out where? I don't have another appearance until 4." I  
start pulling him out of the room with me.

 

"Doesn't matter. As soon as you step outside the press is going  
to swarm you about Dr. Bartlet. Sidestep as much as you can, she's  
already going to catch hell from the President. Bring it around to the  
bill you co-sponsored with Chris Wick and the Universal immunizations  
and well care checks. You have always known the importance of the issues

the First Lady was speaking about, and have worked diligently to protect  
the health and welfare of all Americans." He nods and as we walk out  
into the afternoon sunshine, the reporters and camera crews appear just  
as I predicted.

 

"Congressmen, are you aware you've been unofficially endorsed by the  
First Lady?"

 

"I wouldn't say that. The First Lady's visit was obviously a  
private matter between her and Abigail Lyman, what she did say about  
women's issues was correct, though. I have always worked diligently  
in Congress to protect the health and welfare of all Americans." He  
takes off on the bullet points he has stamped on his brain by now and my  
cell phone rings. Donna of course.

 

"Hey, my phone showed I missed your call. Everything okay over  
there?" she asks all sweetness and light.

 

"Just great. How about you? How's your day going?" I volley  
back.

 

"Fine. No problems. Helen is doing outstanding." She returns  
neatly.

 

"That's good to hear. So is the Congressman. Say, I was  
wondering if you wanted to have Anna bring A.J. back to the hotel for  
nap? If, you know, she doesn't have any other press appearance  
scheduled for the day." One beat, then two, before she answers.

 

"She's kind of busy at the moment, but as soon as she's free  
I'll send her back with Anna." She offers. Weak, Donna, very  
weak.

 

"Donnatella, please retrieve our daughter from the First Lady of the  
United States and get her out of there. Stuff happens at Planned  
Parenthood Clinics you know."

 

"The Secret Service has cleared it Joshua. Do you think I would take  
our daughter anywhere that wasn't safe?"

 

"Of course not, not intentionally, but the area outside the Newseum  
was cleared by the Secret Servcice, too, Donna."

 

"That's a terrible thing to say Joshua Lyman!" she hisses at  
me over the phone.

 

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Can we just not do  
these campaign surprises anymore? Especially not ones that include our  
daughter?"

 

"Yes…she is a natural though. I've almost got her saying  
`Santos'."

 

I laugh. "So help me Donna, if she says Santos before Mom or Dad,  
we're going to have issues, you and I."

 

"This is a campaign for the Presidency, and there's nothing I take  
more seriously" she quotes me back to me.

"If you don't know that my priorities have changed since  
then…"

"I do. I was teasing you. See you at the thing at  
4?"

"Yeah…hey Donna, that was something else you did with  
the First Lady over there."

"The sisterhood, Joshua. It was the sisterhood."

Chapter 27  
A/N: First, big thanks to Rick, who helped me work out some of the  
technical issues for this chapter. Second, I just want to preface this  
by saying NO WAY would Toby sell out the President! Lastly, thanks for  
sticking with me on this story. It went way longer than I had  
anticipated when I started out.

No, I don't own these charaters, but I am having fun writing for them. I  
am a little nervous about how this chapter evolved, so please let me  
know what you think.

 

 

Three days before the convention and Russell is too close for comfort.  
Hoynes won't drop out. The ego of that man; and they say I'm an  
egomaniac.

 

I am curled up in bed with my wife who is mostly naked from activities  
earlier in the evening. Her idea of getting a two room suite and putting  
Anna and A.J. in the other room while we travel was brilliant. I need to  
get some sleep, but I can't turn my brain off. I've got to get  
Hoynes to throw us his delegates after the second ballot. My cell phone  
rings and I try to grab it before it wakes Donna, so I don't even  
check caller ID, but I can see the clock and it's 3 AM here. Shit.

 

"Josh Lyman." I answer groggily.

 

"I need to know what you say to him, when he's making a mistake  
and he won't listen to anyone else." Toby demands.

 

"Toby?" I am really confused. Toby and I haven't spoken in  
months. I tried to fix things, I really did. Even ask Donna; but the man  
is so stubborn! Then when his brother died, killed himself, two months  
ago, I called, wrote, and sent smoke signals. He sent one of those  
generic notes to Donna thanking her for the card and flowers, but  
nothing to me. So I quit trying. Now he's calling at 3AM and ranting  
about something serious. What the hell?

 

"He won't listen to CJ. Leo's up to his eyeballs at the  
convention site; I don't think he even knows about it and  
they're going to die Josh, they are going to die!"

 

"Toby, slow down and back up." I instruct as I get out of bed  
and put on my boxers. I take the phone out into the living room to  
continue the conversation. "What are you talking about?"

 

"There's been an explosion on the space station. They got  
pummeled by some kind of meteor- it doesn't matter. It crippled the  
space station and they're losing oxygen as we speak." I'm  
starting to wake up and put things together. Toby's brother was an  
astronaut. This had to be hitting him extremely hard given recent  
events.

 

"The Soyuz capsule…" I start to say.

 

"Inoperable. It was too badly damaged and it would take another 2  
days to dock another capsule with the station and they don't have  
two days! Do you understand what I'm telling you, Josh?"

 

"Yeah." I get it. The Soyuz capsule is an independent part of  
the space station that is kept there for the express purpose of an  
emergency exit for station personnel in just such an event as this one.  
The Russians replace it every few months so they've always got  
another one ready to go up. Unfortunately, while it only takes 3 and  
½ hours to bring it down, it takes just over 2 days to get one up and  
docked with the station. "How many people are up there?" Not  
that it matters, I guess. I'm just buying time.

 

"Three. Two Americans and 1 Russian, which is why they won't  
launch the other-"

 

"Shut up, Toby!" I interrupt him. "Shut up now! I'm on  
my cell, Damn it!"

 

"Josh, you have to talk to him. He'll listen to you. Come now.  
They don't have that much time. They are going to die!"

 

"CJ needs to-"

 

"CJ tried. She's as frustrated as I am. How can he even  
consider-"

 

"I don't even know if he'll see me, Toby." I'm  
trying to manage expectations here. The President and I haven't been  
talking much lately. He doesn't want to appear partial while Russell  
and Santos are still fighting it out. "The convention is in three  
days and-"

 

"You said if I needed you to do anything, ANYTHING, I should only  
call and ask. I'm calling, I'm asking. I need you to do this,  
Josh. I need you to come and talk to him. I need you to try. It's  
wrong, what he's doing."

 

"Okay, okay. I'm on my way. You better get me an appointment  
pass, I don't think Debbie's going to do it for me."

 

"Done. Just get here." He hangs up and I rifle through the  
clothes in my closet as quietly as possible. I needn't have  
bothered.

 

"What is it?" Donna asks sitting up halfway, eyes nearly closed.

 

"An emergency at the White House. Toby called." I've got my  
clothes on and I sit on the bed next to her while I slip on my shoes.  
"I've got to go there for a bit. You and Mandy hold the fort  
this morning if I'm not back for the thing. I'll call you later  
with an update. I love you." I kiss her and I think she falls  
immediately back to sleep. With a quick detour to kiss A.J. goodbye, I  
grab my backpack and head out the door to catch a cab.

 

Luckily for me, there are planes that leave almost every hour between  
Boston, where we are bunkered down getting ready for the convention,   
and  
D.C. The flight is only 1 ½ hours, and again, I don't have any  
checked luggage, so I get to the White House by 6:30. Toby is waiting  
for me and quickly ushers me to Debbie. Yeah, she looks pissed. Toby  
whispers `thanks' and leaves as quickly as he came in.

 

"He shouldn't have brought you in here." She grimaces at me.

 

"I don't have my briefing memo either." I confess and her  
lips twitch.

"Yeah, you were always the funny one. She disappears into the Oval  
and comes back a couple minutes later. "The President will see you  
now."

 

I walk into the Oval and I swear it's like I never left. The  
President is sitting just where he was the day I left, except this  
morning he looks very tired and haggard. CJ said he's had more days  
like this since China. I notice the cane propped against his desk.

 

"Good morning Mr. President."

 

"I see Toby didn't waste any time calling in  
re-enforcements."

 

"What makes you think it wasn't CJ, sir?"

 

"She didn't get you your appointment pass."

 

"No, sir. How are you feeling?"

 

"Tired, Joshua. I am feeling extremely tired. Aren't you here to  
plead Toby's case? You should get on with it, the clock is  
ticking."

 

"Yes, sir it is, but I didn't come to plead anyone's case. I  
came because a friend called and ask me to."

 

"It's not as simple as he makes it sound you know."

 

"No, sir, it never is. That's why you get paid the big bucks,  
and I left to write a book." He chuckles at that.

 

"You're writing a new one it seems. Santos everything you  
thought he'd be?"

 

"And more. Sometimes I call Leo up just for someone to commiserate  
with me."

 

"If anyone understands fighting with the candidate to get the  
candidate elected it would be Leo."

 

"Yes, sir." He motions for me to sit on the couch before picking  
up his cane and slowly walking over to join me. "I'm actually  
trying to butter him up." I admit.

 

"Sorry, Josh, he loves you like a son, but there's no way  
you're getting preferential treatment at the convention just because  
Leo is running it."

 

"We don't need preferential treatment. We're going to get  
the nomination, sir. I'm talking about after that. We're going  
to need a strong Vice-President."

 

The President quickly connects the dots and laughs out loud.

 

"Can I be there when you ask him?" he asks still laughing.

 

"Wouldn't have it any other way, sir…Is there anything I can  
do to help in the current situation, Mr. President?"

 

"They've got about 12 hours of air left. They're still  
trying to make repairs themselves."

 

"But that's not going to work."

 

"No, it's not. It's not that there is one major hole,  
it's that there are a dozen little ones, that by some nightmare of a  
statistical anomaly have hit just the right places to make repairs  
futile." He runs out of steam. "We can't disclose the  
asset." He says simply. "You know what seven levels of hell that  
would start with our allies, never mind the Iranians and….we  
can't disclose the asset. There's a Russian on board and the  
cosmonauts are all military. It would be a disaster."

 

"Due respect, sir, so would three dead bodies on the space station.  
Aside from the tragic human loss, NASA will be finished. When news of  
the DOD's shuttle leaks out, and I have no doubt that under these  
circumstances, someone is going to leak it; DOD is going to have some  
uncomfortable Congressional hearings to sit through. You yourself, sir,  
will be asked why you let those brave men die when you could have easily  
saved them."

 

"Thinking about the Presidential election, Josh?"

 

"Yes, sir, and so should you. The Democratic nominee will be toast  
and your legacy, sir…forget MS. You'll be remembered for letting  
astronauts die to protect a military asset that's going to be  
disclosed eventually anyway."

 

"That's pretty brutal language, son, when you're talking to  
the President."

 

"One of the benefits of no longer working here sir." I stop and  
lean forward. "Mr. President, you've always struggled with the  
military end of this job. Not in the execution of it, sir." I  
continue before he can interrupt me. "In your head. I think  
there's always been a part of you that felt you can't contradict  
the military because you didn't serve, and Leo always acted as your  
go-between. It worked for you both, but now Leo isn't next door  
anymore and you don't trust CJ's instincts on the military any  
further than your own so you're stuck."

 

"How do I get unstuck, then, Josh."

 

"Follow your gut. You already know what you want to do; what you  
have to do if you're going to be able to face yourself in the mirror  
tomorrow. That's all."

 

"The DOD is going to tell me the asset is only valuable if-"

 

"Screw the DOD, sir. You're the Commander in Chief. What do YOU  
want to do?"

 

He lays his head back against the couch and sighs.

 

"Do you think you could do anything up on the Hill to get election  
day moved up? I'm ready to be done."

 

"I could, sir, but it wouldn't be in my best interest, Santos is  
still down 14 points from Vinick. I need the time to sway a few million  
more voters."

 

"Debbie!" he shouts and she comes in with her hand on her hip.

 

"Would it kill you to use the intercom, sir?"

 

"Get the team assembled in the sit room…10 minutes."

 

"Ten minutes, sir?"

 

"Ten minutes. The clock is ticking, right Josh?"

 

"Yes sir. I'll let you get back to work. Hey, if you get things  
straightened out around here today, maybe you could drop by our office  
and say hi to Congressman Santos." I jest…kind of.

 

"I think you've had enough Bartlet support with Abby and Zoey  
visiting Abigail Joan, haven't you?"

 

"She's a hard kid to resist. Takes after her Mother." I tell  
him.

 

"And her Father, Josh; and her Father." We shake hands and I  
walk towards Toby's office. He's waiting for me, smoking a cigar  
on his couch. Tension is radiating from him. He looks me over for a  
minute and lets out his breath.

 

"Thanks." He tells me as I plop down next to him on the couch.

 

"Those things are gonna kill you, you know." I motion to the  
cigar.

 

"You've got to die from something." He pauses a moment.  
"You need to get your guy to back off from the teachers."

 

"Easier said than done. Want to come with me and try to convince  
him?" I don't think he'll take me up on it, but I make the  
offer anyway.

 

"I'm pretty busy here." He responds. "I wouldn't  
mind if you wiped the floor with that weasel Will Bailey though."  
And he gives me the first genuine smile I've seen in months.

 

"I'll do my best." I get up to leave. "I've got to  
get back. We have a lot of work to do in the next few days. Get some  
sleep Toby, you look like you're a zombie."

 

"I could give Ernie Gambelli a call if you want." He offers as  
I'm half out the door.

 

"The head of the teachers union in New York?" I clarify.

 

"I couldn't do anything official, you understand, but I know him  
pretty well. I could give him my personal opinion of Santos…and  
Russell." He won't even look at me as he says this.

 

"That…that would be great. A personal conversation would be  
terrific. Thanks."

 

"Have a safe flight back." He tells me and I walk out of the  
White House whistling.

 

I know I should have paid more attention in Hebrew school, but I do  
recall learning about Mitzvah's. A lot of it has to do with Jewish  
law, but the part I remember most, was my Mom's explanation that it  
really referred to any act of human kindness. She promised me that if I  
went out of my way to perform a Miztvah, I would see great things happen  
as a result.

 

Going to the White House at the request of a distraught friend at 3 AM  
this morning was a Mitzvah. I didn't know if seeing the President  
would have any effect on his decision about the astronauts and part of  
me believes he would have come to the same conclusion with or without   
my  
interference. But simply going there in response to Toby's request  
was indeed a Mitzvah and once again my Mother was right. Wonderful  
things happened.

 

Ernie Gambelli, persuaded by the personal belief of Toby Ziegler that  
Russell could never beat Hoynes in the fall, came around to our camp and  
brought all his beautiful New York delegates with him. Hoynes, finally  
smelling the coffee, decided to play Kingmaker and released his  
delegates to put us over the top.

 

President Bartlet finally got to enter our offices: to visit A.J. and  
watch Leo's face as Santos offered him the Vice-Presidential slot.  
The closing night of the convention was electric. Congressman Santos had  
us all on the stage with him and as I looked out over the convention  
with my hand in Donna's while I held our daughter (who is, as Donna  
predicted, saying Santos now) I couldn't imagine life getting any  
better than this.

Chapter 28

 

I've searched our hotel suite, the conference room and the  
restaurant. No Donna. Where the hell could she be and why didn't she  
take her cell phone. We have rules about this sort of thing. We  
don't go ANYWHERE without our cell phones and hers was sitting on  
the desk showing each one of my missed calls. Finally, I call Mandy who  
tells me Donna is in their suite working out some details for the  
Southern swing Helen Santos is going to be making the following week.

 

By the time I go up two flights of stairs and get to Mandy and  
Richard's suite, Donna has the door open waiting for me.

 

"Hey, you're back early!" she stops short as she recognizes  
the look in my eyes. "Josh…is something wrong with A.J.?"

 

"No, Donna, A.J.'s fine. Anna's bringing her over now."  
Anna and A.J. had spent their morning in the suite with the Santos  
children. "Donna, your Dad just called. Your Mom was in car accident  
this morning." Donna sits down and Mandy stands up and puts a hand  
on Donna's shoulder. "They don't think she's going to be  
able to hang on much longer and she's asking for you. Anna's  
going to pack up some things for us and the baby, then we're  
catching the first flight to Madison." She just nods and this  
concerns me, but this is not the time, so I turn to Mandy.

 

"You get to step up to the plate, Mandy. Co-ordinate with Lou on the  
new ad buys and I'll be in touch by cell." Lou Thornton joined  
our team after the convention and I swear the woman creates as many  
problems as she solves but everyone else loves her, including the  
Congressman so for now I am out of luck on that one.

 

I usher Donna back to our suite in silence. We get there to find A.J.  
standing up in her portable crib and Anna throwing things into bags.  
She's gotten quite adept at packing in a hurry, our Anna. When she  
sees Donna she stops and runs over to hug her.

 

"I'm so sorry, Donna. What can I do?" Anna asks crying now.

 

"Just get A.J. ready to go will you, Anna." I tell her when  
Donna doesn't respond. Anna goes back to packing up and Donna picks  
A.J. up from the crib. I start packing up some things for the two of us  
when Donna walks in and stands in the doorway holding the baby.

 

"I want to call her." She says but she's not looking at me,  
she's looking at A.J.

 

"Sure. Let's call your Dad's cell phone. See if we can get  
through." I grab my phone and hit redial. It goes through to voice  
mail. Donna is bouncing A.J. but her face is still blank. I dial  
information and ask for the number for Meriter Hospital in Madison  
Wisconsin. It takes a couple minutes to connect, then another couple  
minutes to locate her Mom's room and establish that it's  
Elena's daughter calling to speak with her. Finally, Patrick comes  
on the line. He tells me Elena can't talk right now; and I offer the  
phone to Donna.

 

"Daddy?...Yes, we're coming now…what happened?...." I  
continue to pack our things and Anna, having completed her task waits in  
the doorway listening. "But why didn't she say anything to  
anybody?...I know, I know…just tell her I'm coming will you?  
Tell her we're coming? Bye, Daddy." She hangs up and the tears  
start coming. I take her hand.

 

Let's go. Ready Anna?" she nods and we head out for Madison  
Wisconsin.

 

 

Donna continues with the silence throughout the trip. A.J. falls asleep  
on the flight, being a very seasoned flier, and although Anna and I both  
offer, Donna won't relinquish her to either of us. Anna looks  
helplessly at me and I wink at her. She's a good kid. We're  
lucky to have her with us and it hasn't escaped my considerable  
powers of cognition that this is her Aunt as well as Donna's Mom.

 

"You doing okay, kid?" I ask her.

 

"I guess. Mom says she'll meet us at the hospital and help with  
A.J. if we need it." Donna's Mom and Anna's Dad are brother  
and sister. I just nod again.

 

The news when we get to the hospital is grim. All of Elena's vitals  
are falling. Patrick catches me up on the details as Donna and A.J. go  
in to Elena's room followed by Anna and her Dad. Donna's older  
sister Brianna is already there since she lives in Madison. When I get  
inside, Donna is holding her Mother's hand and trying to talk to  
her.

 

"Mom, we're here. We're all here. Abigail's getting so  
big, Mom, and she said two new words this week. Josh says it's  
because I talk all the time and some of it's bound to sink in. Mom,  
I love you so much, please open your eyes." And my heart just  
breaks. I lift A.J. off Donna's lap and put my hand on Donna's  
shoulder, but Elena doesn't respond.

 

Family members come and go and I lose track of how many times poor  
Patrick has to repeat the story. Elena had been having blood pressure  
problems for months and wasn't real good about taking her  
medication. She took the car to run to the store, blacked out as her  
blood pressure sky rocketed and had an accident. The car went off the  
road and hit a brick building. Elena's internal injuries were too  
severe to repair. Everything is shutting down now.

 

We've been here for five hours and while everyone has been wonderful  
with A.J. she is getting tired, hungry and cranky. Anna and her Mother  
volunteer to take her to their home for the night. I kiss her goodbye  
and go back to Donna who is pacing the length of the room.

 

"Can I get you anything?" I ask her as I stop her motion.

 

"No thanks. What do you hear from Mandy and Lou?"

 

"They say everything's fine. The Congressman however, is  
complaining about the lack of testosterone in the room."

 

"I bet. If you need to go.."

 

"Don't be stupid. Why don't I go and get something for you  
to eat? You haven't eaten all day. I would try to get you to lay  
down to rest for awhile, but even my powers of persuasion aren't  
great enough in this case." She leans her head on my shoulder and  
then we hear it.

 

"Patrick…" Elena is conscious. Donna rushes to her side and  
Brie offers to get their Dad.

 

"Mom. I'm here. Brie's getting Dad. What can I do for  
you?"

 

"Donna, I love you so much honey." The effort it's taking  
for her to talk right now is exhausting.

 

"I know Mom. I know. Here, take a sip." She offers Elena some  
water, but she shakes her head no.

 

"Donna, I am so proud of you, and all that you've done with your  
life. Not just the work; your marriage and your precious A.J."

 

"Mom, please…"

 

"Elena." Patrick and Brie are back.

 

"Don't be mad at me Pat. I just forgot the pills, that's  
all."

 

"I'm not mad. I swear I'm not."

 

"Mom, is there anything…"

 

"Brie, you and your sister take care of your Dad, okay? He  
doesn't eat right on his own."

 

"Mom?"

 

"I love you all so much." She closes her eyes again and Donna  
folds herself into my arms. We stay at the hospital all night and it  
isn't until nearly 8 AM the next morning that her strong heart gives  
out.

 

This ordeal I'm all too familiar with. The grieving. Everyone  
gathers at Pat and Elena's home mid-morning to start making  
`arrangements'. I hate that term. I bring lunch back for  
everyone and A.J. provides one of the few laughs of the day when I cue  
her to say "dada" and it comes out "Santos". Brie's  
girls happily play with ours while I go check on Donna who has retreated  
to her old room.

 

She's lying on her bed, and she might be able to fool some people  
into thinking she's sleeping, but I am intimately familiar with  
Donna Moss. I know her sleeping breathing and her fake sleeping  
breathing. I lay down next to her and stroke her hair.

 

"Mom is coming out tomorrow to help with whatever it is they need  
help with." I tell her.

 

"A.J. will be happy to see her." Mom has hit the road with us a  
couple times during the campaign, but I know she's not getting  
enough of her Granddaughter. How do I know? Because she tells  
me…repeatedly; in person, through voicemail, and email. Funny, but  
I'm not finding that as annoying after the last 24 hours as I have  
in the past.

 

"What do you want to do now Donna?"

 

"Let's make another baby." She says without opening her  
eyes.

 

"Okay, but that's going to take nine months, and I should  
probably lock the door first." What the hell?

 

"I mean it Josh. I want to have another baby."

 

"This minute?" I squeak and Donna sits up to face me.

 

"I want to go back to school too." She tells me. "Can we do  
that? Have another baby and finish school?"

 

"I'd say that's more up to you than me, babe, but yes, if  
that's what you want it's completely doable." I stroke her  
cheek. "You, Donnatella Moss-Lyman can do anything you set your mind  
to doing."

 

"I got that from her you know." She tells me as the tears come  
again. "She's the one who told me to leave Dr. Freeride and make  
a life for myself. She helped me back my car to go to New Hampshire.  
She's the one who flew to Germany even though she's scared to  
death of planes. Now she's gone and A.J.'s never going to learn  
that from her." I pull her to me and just hold her.

 

"Yes, she will. She'll learn it from you. It's a mother to  
daughter, pass it on thing. You're going to tell her all about her  
amazing Grandmother and so will I. It's going to get better,  
Donnatella, I promise. It will get better."

 

"Okay. I'm okay." She sniffles. "Is A.J. doing alright  
with her cousins?"

 

"Sure, she just humiliated me in front of your entire family,  
that's all. You just had to teach her to say Santos, didn't  
you?"

 

"Relax Joshua. I'm sure she'll humiliate both of us plenty  
as she grows up. Maybe she'll even vote Republican someday."

 

"Don't even kid about that Donna. Republicans run in your  
family." I kiss her. "I could go lock the door now, if  
you're serious about that baby thing."

 

"I am serious about the baby thing, but I think we can wait until  
we're out of my parents' house."

 

"You should start looking at schools; do some research. You're  
going to be unemployed come November so that would probably be a   
good  
time to start classes."

 

"You're sure you're okay with that?"

 

"Given the option, I'd prefer to practice making a baby, but  
yes, I'm more than okay with it. I can even help you study."

 

"Josh…"

 

"You could probably swing a letter of recommendation from President  
Bartlet."

 

"Josh…"

 

"Not to mention the next President and First Lady. Hey, I could ask  
the Secretary of Education to write you one, he's still scared of  
me."

 

"Joshua…"

 

"He is!" I insist and coax a smile from her.

 

"Thank you."

 

"For what?"

 

"For putting us first, for dropping a Presidential campaign and  
staying with me through all this, for being such a great father to our  
daughter. You're a pretty good deal, Lyman."

 

"And people said you'd regret it before you were off the drugs  
in Germany."

 

"I have, many times; but never for long I swear."

 

"Very funny, Donnatella, very funny."

 

Chapter 29

 

September 28th – 40 days until the election

 

"You're wrong."

 

"Congressman."

 

"No, Josh, you're wrong."

 

"Congressman." I try again.

 

"Tell him he's wrong, Sam." Matt orders.

 

"Can we get back to the thing?" Sam asks from where he's  
collapsed on the couch.

 

"Sure, after you tell Josh his Met's are going down when they  
play Houston tomorrow."

 

"Aren't we supposed to be making decisions about debate prep  
right now?" Mandy asks.

 

"Yes! This is what I'm talking about!" exclaims Sam.  
"All week it's been Met's pins stuck on Astro's hats.  
Bets about who's going to win, and by how much. Who has the best  
record? I can't take it anymore. We have a Presidential election in  
40 days and you two idiots can't talk about anything besides  
baseball!" Sam shouts. "Is this what I quit a very lucrative job  
in law for?"

 

"$50 says Sam has a total meltdown before dinner." I offer.

 

"I think he just did." Replies Santos. Sam screams and throws  
his papers in the air before covering his face with the cushion from the  
couch. Mandy never even looks up.

 

"Is that normal?" Santos asks pointing to Sam.

 

"Oh yeah." I tell him. "Happens every election cycle." I  
assure him.

 

"How about the weekend of October 16th? We can bunker down for a  
couple of days of debate prep in…say… Tahiti?" Mandy asks.

 

"No. No to Tahiti, and no to the weekend of the 16th." I answer.

 

"You've already got us scheduled out for that weekend?" Matt  
asks.

 

"No, I'm already scheduled out for that weekend. I'm taking  
it off, remember?" I remind Matt.

 

"Oh, yeah. Pick another weekend Mandy." He tells her.

 

"Wait a second." She demands. "Josh Lyman is taking a  
weekend off 2 weeks before a Presidential election in which he's  
working as the Democratic nominee's campaign director? Are you  
addled?"

 

"No, I'm married and a father. The 18th of October, is Abigail  
Joan Lyman's very first Birthday. I will not be spending it doing  
debate prep. Besides, I'd like it earlier in the month. Look at the  
week before that."

 

"Yes, sir," Mandy drawls. The door bursts open as the  
Lyman/Santos wives and children sprint inside. Donna drops A.J. into my  
lap. Miranda takes delight in placing her Houston's Astro's cap  
in my line of sight. Peter unbuttons his denim shirt to reveal the  
Astro's t-shirt underneath.

 

"Houston is so gonna trounce your Met's." Peter sing-songs  
to me. I make a grab for him as he dances out of my reach.

 

"You can't even spell trounce, kid."

 

"Yes, I can. T-r-o-u-n-c-e." he replies.

 

"It's good you can spell. You'll have a skill to fall back  
on when your baseball team let's you down." I retort.

 

"Joshua, are you six now?" Donna asks me as she hand A.J. a  
cracker.

 

"If I have to be. Where's Anna?"

 

"She went to a movie with Mike from advance." She tells me and I  
try to place which gomer Mike is. Nice girls who choose gomers for dates  
seem to be a Moss family trait.

 

"He's not a gomer, Josh, so stop making that face." I  
immediately try to smooth my brow.

 

"How do you do that?" I demand.

 

"What's a gomer?" Miranda asks.

 

"Nobody you will ever have to deal with." I tell her.  
"Unless you choose to date an Astro's player." I look  
pointedly at Peter.

 

"Dad, are you going to let him talk like that?"

 

"Talk is cheap Peter. When he has to pay up on the bets he made with  
us and wear an Astro's cap all week, then we'll see what he has  
to say." Matt tells him.

 

"For the love of God. Can we plan debate prep now?" Mandy  
complains.

 

"Oh, we've got the perfect spot for that," Donna announces  
and smiles at Helen.

 

"We're not going to a spa, Donnatella." I inform her while  
enticing A.J. to take a few steps as she clings to the couch. She's  
been a little behind in her motor skills, but her pediatrician assures  
us that's not unusual in preemies and we should be adjusting her age  
by two months if we're looking at milestone charts. I say my  
daughter is an overachiever and she will be walking by her first  
Birthday just like it says in the damn book.

 

"Spoilsport." Donna replies as she watches me with A.J.  
"What's wrong with Sam?"

 

"Pre-election meltdown." I answer as I get A.J. to take a  
shuffling step.

 

"Isn't it a little early for that?"

 

"We're forty days out. Plus we don't have a date nailed down  
for the debate yet." I respond.

 

"Which is good since we haven't set up debate prep!" Sam  
mumbles from under the cushion. This makes A.J. laugh and grab Sam's  
leg.

 

"I swear to God, Lyman, that better be your daughter touching my  
leg." Sam threatens as he pulls the cushion away from his face to  
glare at me. A.J., thinking he's playing peek-a-boo with her, covers  
her own face and promptly drops to the floor when her hands leave the  
security of the couch.

 

Leo enters next along with Lou and Annabeth. He's clutching a fax  
sheet in his hand and he's looking excited.

 

"What's up boss?" I ask, my curiosity aroused by the sparkle  
in Lou's eyes.

 

"The debate commission came back with their recommendations. 2  
debates, one Presidential, one Vice-Presidential. Aside from the 2nd  
Presidential debate we asked for, we got everything we wanted." Leo  
hands me the sheet and a crowd gathers around me as we read it   
together.

 

"We got one moderator, podiums, and a 60 second rebuttal time limit  
instead of 30!" Lou is dancing, literally. "Oh and the debate is  
NOT gong to be held in California or Texas, but they did choose the  
campus at Florida State which will be just as good for us."

 

"Way to go, Amanda." I give Mandy a high five as we finish  
reading the document. I put her in charge of debate negotiations and  
she, together with the devious minded Lou, ran with it. What a team.

 

"We really need to plan debate prep now." Leo states and Donna  
open up her ever present scheduling book.

 

"North Carolina?" she asks.

 

"Brought us good luck last time." I wink at her.

 

"North Carolina. Monday October 12- Wednesday October 14th.  
Everybody write it down, it is now written in pen in the scheduling  
book." Donna announces.

 

"Wait a minute. I've been asking for that one piece of  
information all afternoon, but Leo asks for it once and it's  
done?" Sam complains.

 

"We just like to watch you melt down." I tell him. "Donna  
has some good news for you. Tell him, Donna."

 

"We decided we need some additional input for debate prep this time  
around. Vinick is a more moderate Republican than we've run against  
before so we thought we should bring in a more moderate voice to help us  
with prep…"

 

"No…" Sam shakes his head for emphasis.

 

"Someone who speaks Republican…

 

"Uh-uh…"

 

"Someone who can give us a Southern point of view…"

 

"You can't possibly be suggesting…" I think Sam has run out  
of ways to respond negatively so I jump in.

 

"Ainsley Hayes has agreed to join our team and take part in debate  
prep." Sam drop back onto the couch and A.J. laughs.

 

Sam gets back up and scoops A.J. up with him.

 

"Come on Abigail, you and I are going for a long walk where we can  
practice taking steps, and we will speak not a word about baseball or  
politics. Deal?" he asks her.

 

"Santos!" she replies.

 

"Traitor.' He grouses, but kisses her cheek and leaves us all  
laughing.

 

MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW

 

Why didn't I remember how cold it gets in North Carolina? This was a  
bad idea. Even Donna's spa is looking good right now. We just got  
through our first full day of prep and everybody is on edge. Some of us  
are playing a little basketball after dinner to work off some physical  
energy. The Congressman tried to get everyone to play football, but I  
decided a full contact sport with the Democratic nominee for President  
was a little too risky. Plus, I don't like football too much.

 

"We need to call her Josh." Sam tells me for like the 12th time.

 

"Why do you keep saying `we need to call her JOSH'?" I  
ask him.

 

"We need help on-"

 

"We have a whole camp full of help right here, and if we really do  
need `her' help, why does it have to be me that calls her?"

 

"You're the one who has a relationship with her." Sam is  
enjoying this way too much. This is payback for bringing Ainsley on  
board, I know it.

 

"I DO NOT have a relationship with that woman." I have stopped  
playing now to get in his face.

 

"Yeah, that doesn't sound defensive." He laughs.

 

"Besides the obvious point that we don't need her help; Donna  
will have several farm animals if she finds out that woman's number  
has even been dialed from my cell phone." I state the obvious.

 

"Why? She doesn't have a problem working with Mandy. Didn't  
you used to date her too?" Santos interjects. "What? I hear  
things."

 

"It's different." I reply.

 

"Why?" Sam asks.

 

"I don't know WHY. Donna just tells me it's different and  
that's good enough for me. I am not calling Amy Gardner.  
Period."

 

We resume our game until Ainsley and Lou appear with another answer to  
our question on vouchers.

 

"He can't agree to vouchers, Ainsley, we've been over  
this." Sam stops playing to emphasis his point.

 

"And as I said, he doesn't need to agree to vouchers, he just  
needs to agree to study vouchers. We've already alienated a lot of  
people with your education plan. We can extend this olive branch and it  
costs us nothing."

 

"Only our principles, and it's your education plan now too, or  
did you not read that in the fine print when you signed on?" Sam  
replies heatedly. "Look…"

 

Their conversation dies away as the two of them walk off to fight in  
private.

 

"Those two gonna make it through debate camp alive? Matt asks.

 

"I've got a $20 on one of them lying in a pool of their own  
blood before we leave Wednesday." Lou interjects with a smile. The  
woman is bloodthirsty I tell you. I love that about her.

 

"I'll take that bet." I smile back. "And double it that  
they're engaged before Election Day."

 

"You're on crack." Lou answers smartly.

 

"Put your money where your mouth is, woman. I am a political  
mastermind. I see all, I know all." I boast as she shakes on our  
bet.

 

"Then why don't you tell me how we're going to make up the  
three points Vinick is up on me right now, mastermind?" Santos  
challenges me.

 

"The debate next week is going to bring you up even with him, maybe  
even up a point or two with the margin. Then we pull out the big guns  
for the final push." I shoot for a three pointer, and miracle of  
miracles, I make it.

 

"What are the big guns?" Lou asks me and ruins my moment.

 

"I haven't decided yet." I shoot for another 3 pointer and  
miss.

 

"Right; that just inspires me with confidence, Josh." The  
Congressman tells me sarcastically.

 

"I haven't steered you wrong yet, have I? Didn't the whole  
reserves drill turn out just like I said it would?" he nods.  
"Didn't I tell you we'd be sitting 3 points down at this  
point?" again he nods. "So how about a little faith here,  
Congressman?"

 

"Okay, Josh, but I want a piece of that 20 on Seaborn." He  
smiles and I shake his hand too. "Done. You're both suckers.  
Remember how our other bets have turned out, sir? Does that Met's  
hat still fit you, or should I get you another one?" I tease as I  
see Donna coming down the path with A.J. Donna's holding A.J.'s  
hands in her own as our daughter works on mastering her steps.

 

"You're just lucky, Josh. That's all." He responds.

 

"Sometimes, sir. Sometimes I am very lucky." I toss the ball  
over my shoulder and hold out my arms for my daughter. She tries, but  
ends up on her butt again. "Time for bed, angel? Let's go tuck  
you in."

Chapter 30 (A)

 

Donna shakes me awake 11 days before the election. I am so tired I could  
cry.

 

"Please, just a few more minutes." I am not ashamed to beg here.

 

"Josh wake up." She insists as she turns on the TV.  
"There's been a nuclear accident in San Andreo, California. The  
President has ordered an evacuation of the area."

 

There's stock camera footage of the nuclear plant, and live shots of  
people packed on the highways trying to evacuate. That was awfully fast.  
Wait a minute.

 

"When did this happen?"

 

"About an hour and a half ago."

 

"Why didn't anyone call me?" I reach over to the nightstand  
to grab my cell.

 

"I turned it off." She says seconds before I see that for  
myself.

 

"Donna!"

 

"You needed sleep, Josh. I've been keeping in touch with Mandy  
and the Congressman. They'll be here in 20 minutes."

 

"What's the reaction been so far?"

 

"Panic mostly. The President called the Congressman a few minutes  
ago to tell him he was bringing Vinick with him to survey the damage as  
soon as it's deemed safe enough. It's his home state and-"

 

"God damnit! Once he gets on the plane with the President it's  
going to be game over; the President and his successor ordering the  
troops into action. Has Mandy issued a statement?"

 

"Of course not. She wouldn't do that without consulting with  
you. We're staying silent for now. "

 

"We're going to need a statement reaffirming the  
Congressman's position that nuclear power is dangerous and that  
Vinick is all for it. Let's get clips of Vinick's pro-nuclear  
statement from the debate. That should be playing on every channel all  
day long."

 

"I'm on it. Take a quick shower. Food and coffee are on the way  
up."

 

 

When I walk into the living room, our whole team is assembled there. Sam  
reads me the statement he drafted for immediate release. The man is a  
genius with words, I swear. I also notice Anisley's hand on his arm  
as he reads it. That $40 bucks is in my pocket already. The Congressman  
nods his approval of the statement and Sam gives it to Donna who is  
going to feed it to the press parked outside our suite.

 

When she returns, we are all somberly watching the reports as they come  
in. Within the first hour, clips of Vinick espousing the complete safety  
of nuclear power during the debate are everywhere. Good, at least  
something is going right.

 

Donna, who has been working furiously at her laptop, gasps.

 

"Josh, you've got to see this!" she commands and passes her  
laptop to me.

 

"What is it?" asks Mandy.

 

"According to my brilliant researcher, it was none other than Arnold  
Vinick who lobbied for the plant in San Andreo. He pushed hard for it.  
They have a copy of the letter he wrote to the nuclear regulation board.  
Holy shit. He even moved the timetable for opening it forward."

 

"We've got to leak that right now." Mandy exclaims.

 

"It can't come from us." Sam argues.

 

"It can't come from anywhere in the same hemisphere as us."  
I agree. "We can't be seen as taking political advantage of a  
national tragedy.

 

"But don't the voters have a right to know he pushed for  
this?" Mandy continues.

 

"Not from us, Mandy. We go dark starting now."

 

"We've got events scheduled all day. How do we avoid commenting  
on it?" Lou asks. "Even I can't spin that much."

 

"Cancel them. Cancel everything. Tomorrow too." I order.

 

"But the election is 11 days away. Can we really afford to cancel  
everything?" Helen sputters.

 

"We can't afford not to." I reply.

 

"What do we do all day then?" this comes from Mandy. This is  
going to kill her almost as much as it's killing me. Neither of us  
likes to sit still very much…or at all.

 

"Follow the coverage and pray the press is as good at researching as  
Donna. That story HAS to break before Vinick gets on the plane with the  
President."

 

MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW

 

"Phone for you Joshua." Donna calls for me.

 

"No calls right now, Donna, we're dark." I remind her.

 

"It's Bob." She tells me. When Toby first started calling  
with suggestions and advice, Mandy asked me who the hell I was getting  
my information from and I told her it was a secret agent from the White  
House named `Bob'. Donna liked it and the name stuck.

 

"You really think it's a good idea to cancel all your events  
today?" Toby questions me.

 

"You know a way to keep our schedule without commenting on San  
Andreo?" I shoot back.

 

"You could..well Sam could write..Okay, maybe not. But it's 11  
days to the election."

 

"What is it with all you people. Do you honestly think I don't  
know how many days until the election? How many hours? If we bat our  
eyes in the direction of California, Bruno Gianelli will have us for  
lunch."

 

"I can't believe that guy is working for Vinick. I always  
thought there was something…" he trails off.

 

"Morally reprehensible?" I offer

 

"Yeah, morally reprehensible about him. Remember when he wanted us  
to use soft money for attack ads? How's Robin?" he asks casually  
about Sam, but I know he really wants to know, without appearing to  
really want to know.

 

"Looks like you're going to have to make room in the bat cave  
for bat girl." I tell him as I watch Sam and Ainsley typing side by  
side at the conference table, exchanging the occasional word and looking  
at each other's copy.

 

"No, shit? I was afraid of that when I heard she was defecting."

 

"She didn't defect, she moved to the forward guard. Defecting is  
working for Vinick. How's the President holding up with all  
this?"

 

"Steady as a rock. I swear, every time I think he's down on the  
mat he jumps up again and sucker punches me in the gut. I hope Santos is  
ready to fill these shoes."

 

"He'll grow into them." I look over at the candidate as he  
continues to cross out lines he doesn't like in the speech. "He  
certainly has a mind of his own. How about CJ?"

 

"She's grown into her shoes too. You should have seen her swat  
down a couple of guys in the cabinet this morning. I could have sold  
tickets. You going to stay dark tomorrow too?"

 

"Looks like it. This thing can spin itself." I hesitate a  
moment, thinking about leaking the nuclear plant stuff to him. He could  
send it out in 4 different directions and they might pin it to the White  
House, but not the campaign. He would do it for me too.

 

"Uh, Josh? You might want to flip on CNBC." He tells me and I  
shout for Otto to change the damn channel to CNBC. Donna glares at me   
as  
Otto hurries to get the remote. What?

 

"We interrupt our current coverage of the crisis in San Andreo to  
bring you this update from correspondet Julie Price."

 

"Thank you David. CNBC has just obtained a copy of a letter written  
by Senator Arnold Vinick urging the nuclear regulatory agency to push  
forward the approval for the San Andreo nuclear facility when they were  
considering a new site. Senator Vinick, as you know, is in the battle of  
his political life for the White House. Recent polls show him in  
virtual dead heat with Democratic candidate Congressman Matthew Santos

after their only debate. One can only assume that news of the Nuclear  
accident coming so soon on the heels of Senator Vinicks endorsement of  
nuclear power as a safe energy alternative during the debate is going to  
adversely effect his campaign."

 

"Damn right." I add and my eyes meet the Congressman's. This  
is the ball game ladies and gentlemen.

 

MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWM

 

The first National tracking poll since the nuclear accident is due out  
any minute and I'm a bit anxious. Alright, a lot anxious. I think I  
overheard Lou offer Donna $50 to take me out of the room  
and…distract me. I was more than a little disappointed that she  
didn't.

 

There are only 7 days until the election. Time is no longer our friend.  
If we don't get a bump, and I mean a significant bump in these  
polling numbers…I got nothing left up my sleeve. Yes, the nuclear  
thing was bad for Vinick, but he played it about as well as anyone could  
and we went completely dark for 2 days. Now I have to hope the  
Congressman's faith in my decision was not a mistake.

 

"I got it!" Annabeth calls out. "In the first national  
tracking poll since the accident at San Andreo, CNN/Newsweek reports  
that Matthew Santos has overtaken Arnold Vinick for the first time since  
the campaign began. In a poll of likely voters, the electorate preferred  
Santos by 6% nationwide. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2%."  
She looks up and smiles. "Then they have a breakdown of state by  
states."

 

"Print it out." I tell her. "Multiple copies, Annabeth."  
Donna stops me midway across the room and takes my face in her hands.

 

"I am so proud of you!" she tells me as she cries a few tears.

 

"It was a team effort there, Donnatella." I try for modesty as I  
wipe away her tears, but she shakes her head.

 

"You assembled the team and you saw the potential in a man who was  
never going to run for office again. That's amazing, Joshua. Look  
around you, look what you've done."

 

"I guess I am pretty spectacularly amazing." I tease.

 

"Don't get too egomaniacal, there's still a week left. You  
could still screw things up."

 

"Not the important things." I kiss her and it quickly becomes  
heated.

 

"Get a room." Comes a chorus from around us.

 

"Great idea." I tell them and begin pulling Donna toward the  
bedroom.

 

"Behave yourself, Josh. There are like 30 people in our suite."

 

"Not in our bedroom, though." I retort. Just as I think I may be  
able to persuade her to fool around with me the food arrives and Donna  
does not miss out on food, ever.

 

We start making plans for the final week of campaigning. A.J. gets up  
from her nap and is entertained by all the antics in the room, not to  
mention the abundance of food; she is her mother's daughter.

 

Halfway through dinner, Mandy and I agree we need to do a re-write on  
the stump for the final days. I turn to Sam for his magic words, but  
he's not there. Otto fills in for the time being, and the kid has  
potential, but he's no Sam Seaborn.

 

The Congressman is really pumped, well I guess we all are, but  
there's something different about him tonight; like he really  
believes he might be the next President. He and Leo are in the corner  
talking about transition. I'd make them turn around three times and  
spit, but I don't want to interrupt them.

 

I see Sam walk in and call out to him. "Where the hell have you  
been, buddy? We're hard at work in here and you take off?"

 

"I'm here now, Mom. What can I do for you?"

 

"I'm just saying we've got a Presidential campaign going on  
here and-"

 

"And there's nothing you take more seriously. Yes, Josh,  
we've all heard the speech. Could I write you something new? You  
know, just for the hell of it?"

 

"You don't have to get all pissy about it." I chuckle  
because he's all worked up.

 

"Pissy." A.J. says clear as a bell. So much for getting lucky  
with Donna later. She picks up A.J. from where she'd been perched on  
my lap and gives me a dirty look.

 

"See now, you got me in trouble with Donna, and my kid's never  
going to get into a decent school with a mouth like that."

 

"Then maybe you should lay off the adults in the room when they need  
a few minutes of privacy." Sam snaps.

 

"Privacy? We're all one big family here, Samuel. What do you  
need privacy for?"

 

"Maybe I didn't want to propose to Ainsley in front of our one  
big family. Is that okay with you, Dad?" The room goes from 60  
decibels to 0 in 2.5 seconds; even A.J. is silent.

 

"Look what you made me do! I was supposed to wait until Ainsley gets  
here and now it's all ruined!" Sam's pissed now.

 

"Did she say yes?" I ask for clarification sake.

 

"Of course she said yes. What do you mean `did she say  
yes'?" Now he's insulted; great. "I've been engaged  
like five minutes and I've already broken the first promise I made  
to her. I promised to wait for her to get here before I told anybody.  
This is all your fault, Josh."

 

"I can fix it." I tell him.

 

"How can you possibly fix it? Everybody knows now, genius."

 

"I am a genius and I'm going to overlook your sarcasm right now  
because you've just proposed and I know what that does to a guy.  
Also, you just helped me win some serious money from the Presidential  
FRONT RUNNER."

 

"What?!" he yelps and looks at Santos.

 

"I need everyone's attention. When Ainsley comes in, everybody  
needs to be busy with work. Sam will then make his surprise   
announcement  
very quickly and we will all be shocked and surprised. Anyone who is not  
suitably shocked and surprised will not have any possibility of  
employment in any big White House we may or may not be working in after  
the New Year. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" Everyone nods or  
answers affirmatively. "See, all fixed. Congratulations, Sam." I  
clap him on the back and just step away when Ainsley enters. Heads go  
down and voices go up. I start yelling at Sam.

 

"I need you here working on the modified stump, not off gallivanting  
around." I wink for good measure.

 

"Don't yell at Sam, Josh. He was doing something important."

 

"What's more important than the campaign?" I cue it up.

 

"Asking Ainsley to marry me." Sam fills in perfectly. Everyone  
looks up and reacts as if they're hearing the news for the first  
time. Donna envelopes Ainsley in a hug, and there are cheers in the  
room.

 

"I can't believe it!" says Otto. "I'm just so  
shocked and surprised!"

 

I turn a look on him to let him know he's laying it on too thick and  
he slinks away.

 

"Leading in the polls and a newly engaged couple on our team. I  
think this calls for some champagne, don't you Josh?" Santos  
inquires.

 

"I do indeed. Lou, you're in charge of ordering champagne for  
our family." Lou is an expert on the alcoholic beverage choices.

 

"And dessert!" Donna adds and I look at her strangely. "I  
want dessert."

 

"Fine, dessert too. It's on me tonight."

 

Within 20 minutes we are pouring champagne and toasting the happy   
couple  
as we scarf down pie and cookies. Donna corners me and steals a bite of  
my pie.

 

"Get your own pie, woman!" I tell her as I pull my plate away.

 

"I already did. I just wanted to have one more bite. It was SO  
good." She leans over to try to steal another bite.

 

"Here have a sip of this instead." I give her my glass of  
champagne. See she can't wield the fork effectively if she's  
holding my glass. I am so brilliant.

 

"I can't, it's bad for the baby." She tells me matter of  
factly and I bobble the plate and the pie. Both end up on the floor.

She looks down. "That is so sad. Is there anymore on the  
buffet?" She looks over and starts to walk in that direction.

"Hold on a second. Did you just say it's bad for the baby?"  
she nods.

"You have been working with me for how long? And you just bury the  
lead of the statement like that? What's wrong with you?"

"Well, I am pregnant." She grins.

"I guess that's a pretty good excuse." I grin back and kiss  
her.

Chapter 30 B

 

Election night…1:30 AM

 

I find Congressman Matt Santos out on the balcony of our hotel suite in  
Houston. It makes me a little nervous, quite frankly, but if the Secret  
Service if fine with it, then I guess I have to be too. I pause for a  
minute and realize this is one of those moments when you're going to  
take one big breath and then someone's life is going to change  
forever. Like when I asked Donna to marry me, or when she told me she  
was pregnant; both times. It's a life changing event and should be  
treated as such.

 

"Hey, Matt!" I call out and have the pleasure of seeing shock on  
his face. I never call him Matt. I never let anyone besides Helen call  
him Matt. Matt is a guy you have a beer with and shoot hoops with, not  
someone you elect to the highest office of the land. "You might want  
to come in now, Matt."

 

"Why are you breaking your own rule, Josh? I thought it was strictly  
Congressman or sir.?"

 

"I thought I would make an exception now, since I won't get  
another opportunity for at least 4 more years." His eyebrows go up  
in a silent question. "They're about to announce that you're  
the next President of the United States. Can't be calling that guy  
Matt. There are strict rules of protocol about that."

 

He laughs and hugs me with a quiet `thanks'. When he goes inside  
and the announcement is made, pandemonium breaks out. Soon, Donna   
joins  
me on the balcony.

 

"Congratulations. You did it."

 

"We did it." I kiss her and we eventually have to `get a  
room'. A.J. is spending the night with my Mom in a neighboring hotel  
room so Anna can celebrate with us, and Mike; who may not be a complete  
gomer, but I'm keeping my eye on him still.

 

It isn't until a late breakfast the next day that President-elect  
Santos talks to me about the Chief of Staff position. I find myself  
hesitating.

 

"I thought that was what you wanted, Josh. I need you in that  
office."

 

"I've been in that office, sir. It's a big commitment."  
Donna and I have not told a soul about the new baby, but I figure I can  
trust the President-elect to keep out secret, so I tell him our news.

 

"That's great, Josh. It really is, but you can still be Chief of  
Staff and be a father. If I can be President and be a father, you can do  
it as Chief of Staff. Look, I've heard you and Sam and Leo talking  
about how it was in the Bartlet White House and don't get me wrong,  
I have great respect for the man, but things are going to be different  
with me. I have different priorities. Maybe that's good and maybe  
it's not, but it is me, so we're all going to have to learn to  
live with it."

 

Priorities. He just said the magic word. "Do me a favor, sir. Let me  
think about it for a day, talk to Donna."

 

"Talk and think all you like, just come back with a  
`yes'." And with that he leaves me at the table. After  
breakfast I ask Donna to go for a walk with me. Once we get outside, I  
broach the topic.

 

"So, the President-elect offered me Chief of Staff." Very  
smooth, Lyman.

 

"Uh-huh." Comes my wife's eloquent reply.

 

"That's all you've got to say? Uh-huh?"

 

"It can't come as a surprise Josh. You knew he would."

 

"Yeah, but I thought it would be a no brainer. Thanks, but no  
thanks. Been there, done that."

 

"So the surprise isn't the offer it's the temptation to  
accept it?"

 

"I guess. What do you think?"

 

"I think you can do whatever you set your mind to doing." She  
quotes me back to me. I hate it when she does that…sort of.

 

"That's really not an answer, you know."

 

"Josh, what do you want to do?"

 

"I want to help build a Santos administration, I want to be there  
for more of A.J.'s firsts, and this one's firsts too." I  
cover her stomach with my hand. "I want to travel with you and take  
family vacations. I want to stick it to the Republicans now that we have  
a majority in Congress. I'm all over the map here, Donna. Help me  
out."

 

"I don't see any reason why you can't do all of that,  
Joshua. If you want to serve as Chief of Staff it can be on your terms.  
You set your priorities and you keep them. Will it be hard? Yes. Are you  
going to have to delegate a lot? Sure. But if that's acceptable to  
the President-elect, it should be acceptable to you too."

 

"Leo always-"

 

"Josh, I love Leo. You know I do. But Leo ended up divorced and had  
a massive coronary; not to mention having a strained relationship with  
his daughter for a long time. Is he really the model you want to use for  
that office?"

 

"Not when you put it that way." I roll my eyes.

 

"The President-elect will have Leo, too. Between the two of you, and  
the rest of the staff you put together, President Santos will be well  
served."

 

"So you think I should take it?" there must be a catch here  
somewhere.

 

"I think you'll kick yourself if you don't. And if  
you're unhappy, then A.J. is unhappy and then I'm unhappy.  
We're a team."

 

"Yeah, but like the Met's right? Not the stupid  
Astro's."

 

"Never like the Astro's." she assures me. "You know  
where your priorities lie, and so do I."

 

"What about you going back to school?" I want to make sure  
we've covered every angle.

 

"Well, I was thinking about that…" she confesses and starts  
telling me her plans to have Anna stay with us after inauguration so she  
can start taking some classes. Then we're going to see how it  
goes…or so she tells me. First, I'm told, I need to go tell the  
President-elect he has a Chief of Staff.

 

MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWM

 

"Come on A.J. Time to go!" I order but no child comes running to  
me. I get a lot more respect at work than I do at home. I do a cursory  
search of the upstairs, but no A.J. On the main floor I find Anna  
holding our son; both of whom are waiting patiently for me it seems.  
Noah is quite the dapper gentlemen in his little suit and is the  
antithesis of his big sister. Where she came early, he was two weeks  
overdue. Where she is light haired and fair skinned, he has dark hair  
and a deeper complexion. I would accuse Donna of an affair with the milk  
man, but when he smiles he has serious dimples.

 

"Anna, I can't find A.J. Have you seen her?"

 

"She went into the backyard awhile ago. She was still pouting about  
having to wear a frilly dress." Anna smirks as she relays this bit  
of information.

 

"I told her it's just for a couple hours." I head out the  
back door calling for my 3 year old daughter. The yard is fenced in,  
it's not like it isn't safe; particularly with Secret Service  
keeping a watchful eye over us, but still. She was supposed to stay  
inside.

 

"Abigail Joan?" I call out and see her careen around the side of  
the house. She is covered in dirt from head to toe. "A.J. what the-  
I told you to stay inside until it's time to go. Now you're a  
mess."

 

"I was bored and the dumb dress is itchy." She complains as she  
pushes her glasses back up on her nose. The vision trouble is the only  
long lasting effect of her prematurity and the glasses do look adorable  
on her. Best of all, they in no way hinder her ability to play baseball  
which we do faithfully every weekend.

 

"Let's see if we can clean you up quick. We have to leave soon,  
or we'll be late for Mommy's special day. She'll be looking  
for us." Not that we'll be hard to spot with our Secret Service  
contingent.

 

"Did you have a good meeting?" she asks me.

 

"Pretty good." I tell her as I wipe dirt from her face with a  
dish towel. I know, Donna will yell later, but this is an emergency.

 

"Did you make the `publicans pay the money?" she continues  
questioning me.

 

"Of course I did. I always make the Republicans pay the money."

 

"Cuz our guys are in charge and they're scared of you and  
Prezdent Santos, right."

 

"Right, but we can just keep that under out hats, okay A.J.?"

 

"We're not wearing any hats, Daddy."

 

"Right." The child is very literally minded. She gets that from  
her mother. "Anyway, I had to make the Republicans pay fast today,  
because we have Mom's thing, so I'm a little stressed."

 

"What is stressed? Is it a `publican thing?"

 

"Most definitely. We have to get going, kiddo. Anna, we're  
ready. Let's get in the car before something else happens."

 

There's quite a crowd, of course, and we are now fashionably late.  
No, it had nothing to do with my crappy watch. Luckily, the Secret  
Service scoped out and reserved our seats so it doesn't matter.

 

We wait, mostly impatiently, during the boring parts until we hear:

 

"Please welcome, class valedictorian, Donna Moss-Lyman." We  
cheer, mostly appropriately and A.J. stands on my lap to get a better  
view of her mother.

 

"Thank you." She begins and takes a moment to wave at A.J. who  
cries out `Hi Mommy' to the delight of the crowd. "I am very  
pleased and proud to be here today. This graduation represents the  
culmination of years of study and sacrifice for those of us on this  
stage. For me personally, it was a winding circuitous journey to get  
here. I am hardly what anyone would call a traditional student."

 

"I did have one great advantage, though, as I worked toward my  
degree and tried to balance family, study, and work. With the help of my  
husband, I was always able to keep my priorities straight."

 

Fine.


End file.
